Aerial photo of sustainably-managed productive forests in southern Scotland. Courtesy of BSW Group.
Using timber in construction is one of the best ways to reduce emissions from buildings.
Ambitious new plans to increase the use of timber in construction were announced by Environment Minister Mary Creagh at the Timber in Construction Summit in London.
The new Timber in Construction (TiC) Roadmap is being introduced to help get Britain building using timber – creating economic growth, rural jobs and helping meet housebuilding targets in a sustainable way.
The TiC Roadmap was first published at the end of 2023. This new and improved version goes even further, highlighting the Government’s ambition to boost the domestic timber industry and kickstart the construction sector without compromising on quality, safety or carbon emissions. It also demonstrates how the use of timber in construction fits with the government’s own growth agenda, by encouraging the use of sustainable, low-carbon building materials and ensuring carbon emissions are considering during the design, construction and use of buildings.
Using timber in construction is one of the best ways to reduce emissions from buildings. Around 25% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the built environment, and larger buildings can store up to 400% more carbon when built out of engineered timber products compared to building with concrete. However, 80% of the timber the UK currently uses is imported.
Key updates to the Roadmap place greater acknowledgement on the importance of reuse and species diversification, as well as revealing powerful actions to create a low-waste circular construction sector and drive further investment into domestic timber and wood-processing supply chains. These include:
Environment Minister Mary Creagh CBE MP said: “This Government is getting Britain building. Our Plan for Change will build 1.5 million homes this Parliament. Timber will play a vital role benefitting development and nature.”
David Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Timber Development UK, said: “The Government’s commitment to the Timber in Construction Roadmap is a real boost to the low-carbon construction sector. We have a great opportunity to increase our housing stock while growing our forests and reducing our emissions output.
“As a bio-based industrial supply chain, the timber sector can play a unique role in the low-carbon economy – sequestering emissions in the forest and storing them in our buildings. With a rough value of £10 billion to the UK, this growth in timber construction can also play a vital role in the Government’s wider growth agenda.”
Forestry Commission Chief Executive, Richard Stanford, said: “To reach net zero, we must increase timber production from homegrown trees and use that timber in our buildings to sequester carbon. The Timber in Construction Roadmap will propel forestry production in England to ensure timber security, reduce our dependence on imports, and address the nature crisis by boosting biodiversity, improving water quality, and providing more green spaces for people.”
Alex Goodfellow, Chair of the Confederation of Timber Industries, and CEO of Donaldson Offsite, represented the timber industry when he said: “The Minister’s support for the Timber in Construction Roadmap shows the Government’s firm commitment to a growth agenda: growth for forestry, for housing, for low-carbon skills and for the economy. The timber supply chain is a major economic player in the UK, connecting rural and urban environments.
“Timber frame construction is a well-proven technology and business model for delivering houses rapidly and sustainably while improving quality. By accelerating this growth we can build more low-carbon housing today while providing a market pull for expanding forests. As a supply chain we will support the Government to deliver on all of the goals in the Roadmap and help build a more sustainable future.”
Stuart Goodall, Chief Executive of Confor, commented: “Confor welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to working with partners, including the timber industry, to deliver the important ambitions of the Timber in Construction Roadmap. In light of domestic timber security, we particularly welcome the roadmap’s focus on increasing productive forestry and on promoting the use of homegrown wood-based construction products. Both of these actions will make an important contribution to achieving the UK’s net zero target and economic growth.”
Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association said: “This is a substantial step forward and we are extremely pleased to see the Government underlining its commitment to meeting these ambitious house building targets. Increasing the use of structural timber and offsite manufacturing is one of the most effective ways of ensuring the rapid and high-quality delivery of these vitally needed homes, while also meeting urgent decarbonisation obligations.”
