Background
Since 2022, the John Lewis Partnership has focused on improving the robustness, capacity and consistency of their timber risk assessment programme and training suppliers to provide the appropriate evidence of their responsible sourcing¹. In parallel, they focused on working with internal teams and key suppliers to re-source timber where needed, to meet their responsible sourcing standards.
Significant re-sourcing to certified timber forest sources has happened across John Lewis Partnership's India and Hong Kong sourcing offices. Certain ranges have moved to full chain-of-custody certification, and a new reclaimed timber range has been introduced across beds and household furniture.
Together, this work led to an improvement in the target to use more sustainable or recycled timber sources in their own-brand products from15.3% in 2024/25 to 47.7% in 2025/26.
Scope of Work
WWF and the John Lewis Partnership are collaborating to advance its global timber sourcing strategy, implementing measures to ensure deforestation free sourcing and traceability, through engagement with their relevant teams and suppliers. The John Lewis Partnership will participate in exchanges with other Forests Forward participants, and opportunities to effectively implement its responsible sourcing commitments will be further defined together.
¹ Responsible sourcing is the practical implementation of policies, systems and procedures such as due diligence, traceability and monitoring, in order to verify the conformity of any raw materials or products purchased, used and traded, with environmental and human rights requirements. Within the forest industry, the aim of responsible sourcing is to ensure that all products originate from responsible forest management. Requirements include the exclusion from value chains of all illegally harvested and/or traded wood, exclusion of wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights, exclusion of wood harvested in forests in which high conservation values (HCVs) are threatened by management activities and the exclusion wood harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use.