Timber can cut through the greenwash

The comprehensive spending review is one of the most scrutinised political announcements of my lifetime. Showing great foresight in uncertain times, in August the Forestry Commission let research contracts to review priorities for home-grown timber.

BRE in partnership with TRADA, Forest Research, Bangor University and CTE secured the work to determine how best to add profitable value to the forest resource. This opportunity to take stock and look at adding value is not straightforward. For example, what value or profit opportunity might a simple twin laminate Scots pine beam have that takes two C14 falling boards up to a C35 strength grade engineered product? To tackle such questions a balanced scorecard approach has been adopted that includes stakeholder engagement, the merits of conversion efficiency, the carbon storage potential, likely profit margin, end of life scenarios and the ease of realisation. These will be weighted to provide an overall ranking of the proposed options for adding value.

Whatever the business climate, an efficient process, with effective resource use and reduced waste (all contributing to a more sustainable and lower impact product) is needed to differentiate timber and home-grown innovation. Wood is an extraordinary base material from which to showcase low impact, versatile and problem-solving solutions.

In the near future, construction will seriously value carbon – this will support wood product expansion into the mainstream if the sector has the evidence in place. The home-grown timber research projects provide the catalyst for this work by reviewing what we know and identifying what we need to know. Wider sector action is needed. Now is the time for concerted action to open the opportunity around the proposition that wood products are a good carbon store and can contribute to mitigating climate change.

Action is required to cut through any greenwash that building clients and construction professionals encounter. The outcome must be a definitive independent platform for use by the forest industries and their partners to contribute positively to mitigating climate change. The sector that takes action will be the sector that prospers in the long run.