About 100 delegates from across Europe attended the GATE “Timber for Tomorrow’s Europe” conference in Cardiff earlier this month.

Welsh Assembly sustainability minister Jane Davidson told the event that Welsh timber had a vital role to play in the country’s fight to tackle climate change.

Welsh construction experts and their European counterparts heard the minister share the Welsh Assembly vision for the way wood can play an increasingly valuable part in future construction.

The minister said she had recently asked Forestry Commission Wales to investigate the potential for constructing an exemplar sustainable house using Welsh timber and environmentally-sustainable features to showcase its potential to builders.

A 15-strong group from Germany was among the delegates. Other countries represented include Poland, Estonia and Slovenia.

A pre-conference tour of the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University was organised to show how Welsh architects and builders are using timber to change the way people think about wood.

Welsh construction experts have led the three-year GATE project – aimed at gaining added value for timber in Europe.