The government has today announced that it is to tighten its procurement policy for timber products to better ensure timber used by the public sector is both legal and sustainable.

Public sector bodies already have to comply with procurement criteria designed to ensure the timber they purchase is from legal and sustainably managed plantations.

However, from 1 April the rules will be extended to include social criteria intended to better protect communities affected by deforestation and make it harder for illegal timber to enter the market.

"Developed nations such as the UK must support developing nations so that they do not have to make a choice between their ecosystems and their economies, " said environment secretary Hilary Benn. "The new social criteria demonstrate the UK's commitment to use government purchasing power to help push illegal and unsustainable timber out of the market by improving labour standards, protecting the interests of developing nations and tackling climate change."

Under the new rules, public sector bodies will require timber suppliers to provide evidence that they respect the legal, customary and traditional tenure and use rights related to their forests; have mechanisms in place for resolving grievances and disputes relating to tenure, land use, forest management practices and work conditions; and safeguard the basic labour rights and health and safety of forest workers.

The new rules could have a significant impact on the UK's timber market. According to figures from Defra, central government purchases 20 per cent of all timber bought in the UK, rising to 40 per cent when local authorities and the wider public sector are included.

The announcement comes as the UK this week hosts a major conference on biodiversity, designed to help finalise tough new international targets and regulations for biodiversity and forest protection ahead of a UN summit in the autumn.