The chief executive of the Forestry Commission, Richard Stanford, says that timber security for the UK is just as vital as food security. He highlights the fact that the UK currently imports 73 per cent of its timber, which is the second biggest importer of timber worldwide.
As demand for products from timber frame suppliers is set to surge over the next 20 years, the UK urgently needs to invest in homegrown wood products. This naturally involves planting more woodlands and building up the supporting infrastructure, such as skilled forestry workers and timber construction workers.
Writing for Construction News, Stanford says: “The situation is clear: just as food security is essential, so too is timber security. But it takes at least 40 years to grow a timber crop rather than one year for agricultural crops.”
“If we are to build a more resilient and sustainable construction industry, we need to invest in growing our domestic supply chain. We can sustainably increase the timber harvest from our existing woodlands right now and, if market conditions are favourable, our world-class wood processors have the potential to boost the supply of sawn wood and panel products.”
The need for skill development
Currently, just nine per cent of new homes in England are constructed from timber, compared to about ninety per cent in Scotland. The UK government has committed to a strategy to boost the use of timber in housebuilding in England, in order to meet the target of building 1.5 million affordable and sustainable homes by 2029.
This will require training the construction workforce to equip them with the necessary skills for working with timber, and addressing the current labour shortages in the sector. Stanford also calls for the focus of ‘net zero’ to shift from homes that are carbon neutral to run, to homes that are also carbon neutral to build.
Study calls for changes in land use practices
Elsewhere, a new study by researchers at Bangor University has concluded that the UK’s heavy reliance on imported wood could prevent the country from adhering to its net zero strategy. Deeside.com reports that the study highlights the need for increased forestry expansion and stronger forestry management practices.
Professor John Healey, the senior author of the study said: “Our study highlights three major challenges for UK forestry. The first is expanding productive forests. Conifer forest expansion has stalled for 30 years, and harvestable wood supply is set to decline after 2039. Reversing this will require rethinking land use priorities.”
“The second is improving forest management: Higher productivity must be sustained despite rising threats from pests, disease, and drought. The third is maximizing wood use efficiency: Processing wood with minimal waste, reusing it, and adopting circular economy principles will be critical.”
He added: “Major policy reform is needed to meet these challenges. To ensure use of wood in place of other materials remains a sustainable net zero solution, the UK must limit the increase in its dependence on wood imports to avoid shifting carbon emissions and biodiversity loss overseas.”
Prof Healey calls for a reform of the UK’s land use strategy to enable the expansion of woodland cover. The study suggests that for optimum results, the UK should aim to double its productive forest area annually, and boost tree growth rates by a third.
This may be enough to support sustainable domestic timber production needs, and also mitigate biodiversity loss, carbon emissions and slow the effects of climate change.