After a decade of championing UK forests and their products, Grown in Britain (GiB) celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 4, 2023, allowing us to reflect on successes to date, the continuing barriers to certified home-grown supply and the new challenges that we face as we prepare for the next 10 years.

Since GiB launched in the House of Lords all those years ago, we’ve journeyed alongside businesses, landowners, and communities to foster a stronger mindset around sustainable, low-carbon supply chains and certified homegrown timber.

With timber use, globally, predicted to quadruple by 2050 and the drive to reduce emissions continuing, the value of shortened, stable supply chains is set to grow. GiB will continue to focus on building capacity within the sector and driving demand for homegrown timber that maximises the value and productivity of our woodlands.

As we look to engage with the next generation we’re sharing just some of the projects and work that have been happening since our last article (TTJ September/October 2022), all working towards securing a better future for our woodlands and the people that rely on them.

VEYA HOMES

Our ongoing efforts to champion homegrown timber and curb embodied carbon in construction continue.

A recent analysis of three completed build projects showed 91% of timber used was from non-UK sources – offering huge potential for change. The Grown in Britain Project Standard with Veya Homes was designed to clearly measure the use of home-grown timber and timber products and award recognition by certifying the defined timber element as being grown in the UK.

Eighty-two per cent of the Veya house build met Grown in Britain requirements, demonstrating just how much home-grown timber could be used given the opportunity. And the project found a mere 6% of materials required a design change to accommodate UK supply, underscoring the compatibility of our sustainable practices with standard market values.

Importantly, Veya Homes also commissioned AES to do an Embodied Carbon Survey on the four properties built at Rangeworthy, outside Bristol. The design included a timber façade with profiled steel sheet roof cladding and engineered hardwood flooring. The report aimed to identify carbon emission hotspots and opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts of construction projects.

The methodology used One Click LCA and the assessment method followed BS 15978:2011. Lifecycle assessment was for A1-A5, so from source to completion of the build.

Plot 1 was a detached property and the chart shows the Veya Homes build to have a significantly lower embodied carbon than a traditional build, particularly in the A1-A3 product stage.

For those wishing to reduce project emissions through the use of local supply chains, these outcomes and the application of the GiB Project Certification provides much food for thought.

SCANDINAVIAN TIMBER

Continuing the focus on the impact in construction, an update on our curtain walling project with Scandinavian Timber sees the first Grown in Britain timber installation taking shape.

Based in Gloucestershire, Scandinavian Timber originally relied on imports for its projects but now, due to emerging quality issues and a desire to buy local, it is switching to GiB-certified timber for its high-end curtain walling.

This project’s purpose is to build and test the use of home-grown timber (ash, sweet chestnut, Brimstone, poplar, Douglas fir and oak) on the internal and external faces of curtain walls, replacing both imported timbers and unsustainable aluminium with homegrown replacements.

In the last few months, we’ve seen the first phase of onsite installation of this residential project begin using GiB ash curtain walling. The glass will go in shortly and it will begin to look more like a finished product, but we’re delighted to see how the project is already creating innovative high-value construction components out of home-grown hardwoods.

Also in the pipeline is the curtain walling for the York Aparthotel, due for completion in early 2024. This commercial build has a front façade of durable sweet chestnut, bringing this wonderful timber front and centre in an ancient cityscape.

ERCOL

At Clerkenwell Design Week this May, ercol re-launched its iconic Marino chair and Pebble nest to the contract market, meticulously crafted in GiB-certified ash. Upholstered in Camira’s new recycled wool fabric, Revolution, these pieces are designed to last for years to come, capturing carbon across generations.

This significant partnership represents a journey of nurturing sustainable growth and conscious design.

“By choosing certified British timber that has travelled fewer miles, we can support the responsible management of our precious forests and help create a new wood culture for the UK,” said Henry Tadros, ercol’s chairman.

This fantastic partnership will drive direct investment into the British timber industry, helping to sustainably manage our precious woodlands.

Retailers working in partnership with ercol have enthusiastically welcomed this new development and are actively promoting the underpinning messages around woodland management and home-grown supply chains to a totally new audience on the UK high street.

NATIONAL TRUST PROJECT

The longevity of products like curtain walling and furniture created using home-grown can only be ensured with a robust supply chain.

From the picturesque Lake District to the serene landscapes of Herefordshire, this regional project with GiB certificate holders, the National Trust, is focusing on connecting up supply chains within the National Trust estates along with external suppliers and processors.

We’re looking at how the timber from these extensive woodlands can be put to better use, investigating all the elements, such as people, place, species, usage and infrastructure to develop these close-to-source supply chains. This is to ensure timber grown on the National Trust estates is used either at, or nearby, each location, so more communities can benefit from home-grown timber.

This collaboration between GiB and the National Trust has huge possibilities to promote the idea that resilient woodland management and the use of timber can go hand-in-hand.

We thank the National Trust team for their time and expertise so far and are looking forward to sharing more as the work progresses.

REMOTE SENSING WOODLAND BENEFITS

We are excited to start work on a project that has a part to play in future-proofing our industry, and are delighted to launch the Remote Sensing Woodland Benefits, with project partners Forest Canopy Foundation, Arborflight, AiDash and Chevron Green Services.

Current auditing of new and existing woodlands and associated habitats including the assets they yield (for example, carbon, timber and biodiversity), are largely monitored through ‘boots on the ground’ techniques. The use of satellites, crewed planes, drones, LiDAR, multispectral, thermal detection, machine learning and artificial intelligence are used in sister sectors but only partially in forestry and ecosystems management. As part of our mission to bring more woods into management, increase resilience and underpin investment, this project funded by the Forestry Commission’s WIMFIF, will connect the space, forestry and technology sectors to trial Remote Sensing techniques to observe and verify woodland assets/threats including carbon, timber, biodiversity, pests and disease.

The collaboration between researchers, regulators, land managers and tech experts, will help improve woodland management and development.

GROWN IN BRITAIN WEEK

Last but not least, our anniversary year is brimming with excitement as we gear up for Grown in Britain Week from October 9-15. During this week, we’re thrilled to unveil a series of new initiatives, including the launch of the new hardwood price/size curves, as well as enjoying the 2023 Forestry Conference ‘Next generation: Securing our future’, in collaboration with the CLA and the Forestry Commission on October 11.

As we reflect on a decade of progress, join us in looking ahead to the future and strengthening our commitment to sustainable forestry practices and championing homegrown timber. ­