By Charlie Law, Timber Development UK Sustainability Director
Wherever you go nowadays in the construction industry, carbon, in particular embodied carbon and net-zero, is the key topic of conversation. And timber has a good story to tell.
One of the advantages of Timber Development UK, the new organisation formed by the merger of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA), is the ability to create joint committees which can take on initiatives which affect the whole timber supply chain. This of course includes the climate crisis.
Our Sustainability Committee brings together leading experts from across the industry to support our members in their transition to net zero. One of the core aims of this group is to look at how we can support our members, and the construction industry at large, to reduce its carbon footprint, particularly around embodied carbon.
While timber is inherently a low-carbon construction product, we must do even better. We also need to clearly communicate the role of timber in a net zero future. That is why we are writing a Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap that explains how the timber industry can achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Image credit: Matt Palmer | Unsplash
Timber Development UK, on the recommendation of the Carbon Sub-Committee and Sustainability Committee, has adopted the following target, which is linked to the SME Climate Hub Commitment:
“Timber Development UK, recognising that climate change poses a threat to the economy, nature and society-at-large, commits to take action immediately in order to:
- Support our members in halving greenhouse gas emissions intensity before 2030
- Achieve net-zero emissions before 2050
- Disclose our progress on a yearly basis
In doing so, we are proud to be recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, and join governments, businesses, cities, regions, and universities around the world with the same mission.”
Key to meeting these targets is understanding the carbon footprint of the products and services we offer as an industry. This is why our Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap will begin by scoping out the industry’s emissions profile, then identifying decarbonisation opportunities, and ultimately, a public facing document and toolkit to support our members.
We look forward to working with our members on this journey and demonstrating that timber is the ultimate, low-carbon circular economy product.
Source: Timber Trade Federation – ttf.co.uk
