Trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it as carbon. When harvested, their wood is converted into products that store this carbon for that product’s entire lifecycle. After being harvested, more trees are planted and the cycle of carbon capture continues.
Wooden doors, stairs, window frames, furniture and structural timber elements used in the construction of a building all hold carbon.
Using wood from sustainably managed forests reduces CO₂ emissions, as the carbon stored by the forest and in the timber product outweighs any CO₂ created during the production of the product. Each tonne of timber used instead of other carbon-intensive building materials (like steel, or brick and concrete block) can save around a tonne of CO₂.
Timber products can be protected with additional treatments, repaired, reused and recycled numerous times before they are at the end of their life. A wood product is easily recycled and reused, allowing the carbon it stores to stay ‘locked away’ for many years.
Sustainable forest management and the responsible sourcing of timber products are essential if trees are to meet their full potential as a form of carbon capture and storage.
In December 2023, the government launched the Timber in Construction Roadmap which aims to increase the safe use of structural timber in the construction of homes and other buildings. The new plans form part of the wider aim to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by utilising materials which have a lower carbon footprint.
The Roadmap sets out the vision to increase the use of timber in construction, whilst also presenting valuable opportunities for economic growth, rural jobs and levelling up.
The BWF has been an integral member of the Timber in Construction Working Group which was established in 2022. We will continue to share updates and look at ways we can support members with their own carbon zero agenda and policies.
