United we stand in our representation

Last month TTJ reported on the steps being taken through the Timber Industry Accord to develop a united and more powerful voice for the timber industry.

Just one month on we see a stark reminder of why we need this voice. In representation to Stephen Williams MP, the timber industry has united through the Accord in an attempt to divert the drive for zero-carbon homes from by-passing embodied carbon, effectively hamstringing timber of this powerful advantage that it brings to the house-building sector.

Since the formation of the coalition government we have seen shifts in political rhetoric around green issues and the green economy, from the prime minister in 2010 stating "I want the coalition to be the greenest government ever" to the 2013 "get rid of all the green crap" approach. The latest move to cut the Code for Sustainable Homes and leaving a void for materials is taking us backwards 10 years, back to an age of single issue greenwashing.

Carbon in the atmosphere is at record highs and levels continue to accelerate. It is having a demonstrable impact on the climate.

To compensate we are investing billions in carbon capture and storage technology, which is fine, but the simple answer is staring us in the face - plant more trees and use more wood. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, the proverbial US anti-gravity pen for astronauts versus the Russian pencil! In the Allowable Solutions consultation it is recognised that forestry has a role to play, but beyond this, the framework seems to be progressing only to focus on operational carbon. This is important, but embodied carbon accounts for between 30-50% of the carbon emissions of a building through its lifetime.

The Accord is worried that if the current pathway to zero-carbon homes does not support the use of materials with low embodied carbon, this may lead to suboptimal solutions being adopted to avoid paying a levy, rather than a real focus on reducing emissions. For example, recent research by the Wood Window Alliance points to savings of 1.5 tonnes of CO2e through selection of appropriate wood windows over alternatives in a standard dwelling.

During Embodied Carbon Week in April we saw leading players in the construction sector emphasising the importance of getting to grips with this vital piece of the jigsaw. The RICS was involved and is also lobbying the government to introduce compulsory monitoring of embodied carbon in new buildings, using a new methodology that it has developed alongside a raft of top construction firms. We are getting behind this work.

Guy Battle, founder of The Sustainable Business Partnership, has been working with leading players the RICS and WRAP on this initiative. "We have been working on a model to account for embodied carbon saved in construction," he said. "This embodied carbon can be banked now and has a higher value than operational carbon saved in the future, especially as the UK moves towards 80% grid decarbonisation. The measurement and management of embodied carbon has proven benefits as a proxy for CAPEX reductions, in material innovation, job creation and promotion of local sourcing."

Among the firms that worked on the project are Faithful + Gould, Arup, Mott Macdonald, Gleeds, Skanska, Laing O'Rourke, Aecom and Derwent London. The RICS's methodology to calculate embodied carbon will not be published until later this month, but members of the team behind it have already met officials from the Treasury to propose that it forms the basis for compulsory monitoring of the embodied carbon in buildings.

We need to recognise and nurture this opportunity now or we risk falling behind our European competitors. In Germany it is a matter of course to account for carbon in construction, in the Netherlands it is a now a matter of law and in France it will be law next year.

Our government seems to be waiting for Europe to drive change. The real risk is that in other countries supply chains are developing now to meet this need, positioning importers well to meet future demand in the UK.

Responsibly sourced timber is the most natural, renewable and environmentally sustainable building material - the benefits are impressive and unique; this is something we need to ensure government understands and that the Allowable Solutions framework embraces embodied carbon within the definition of zero-carbon homes.

As a material sector, the timber industry has unique properties and is somewhat of a lone voice - hence we as an Accord need to be loud, effective and united to secure the future that timber really deserves.