Supplying Timber Issue 9 0 - Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 54
WHY IT'S TIME
TO TAKE AIM
AT CARBON
EMISSIONS
At a presentation to the North West Timber Trade Association, Charlie
Law, TDUK's Sustainability Director, explored how the UK timber
sector can help shape the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
USING TIMBER
s the pressure
to decarbonise
intensi昀椀es
across the global
economy, few industries are
better poised to lead the way
than timber.
In a sector known for its
natural sustainability, it might
come as a surprise to learn
that the UK timber industry still
accounts for over 5.7 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions
every year.
While timber remains one
of the lowest carbon building
materials available, there’s no
escaping the fact that transport,
imports, and processing
all leave a footprint on our
built environment. Charlie’s
presentation made it clear that
resting on timber's reputation as
a low-carbon material is not an
option.
Instead, the Timber Industry
Net Zero Roadmap o昀昀ers a
structured, science-aligned path
to ensure that timber remains
the go-to low-carbon building
material well into the future.
A
Under the 2015 Paris
Agreement, global temperatures
must be limited to well below
2°C – ideally 1.5°C – above
pre-industrial levels. The UK has
legally committed to achieving
net zero carbon emissions by
2050, with an ambitious interim
target of an 81% reduction by
2035 compared to 1990 levels.
That’s less than 10 years to
eliminate four-昀椀fths of our
emissions.
The timber industry is already
a relatively low-emissions
sector. Territorial emissions from
timber-related activities total
around 1.6 million tonnes of
CO₂e — just 0.35% of the UK’s
overall emissions. Even when
adding the 4.2 million tonnes
of embodied emissions from
imported timber products,
the industry’s total footprint
remains under 0.75%.
That might sound reassuring,
but Charlie warned against
being complacent. “Compared
to concrete and steel we’re in a
good place,” he said. “But if we
don’t act now, they will catch
up with us through low-carbon
SUPPLYING TIMBER
54
innovation, and timber will lose
its climate edge.”
The Roadmap, developed
in partnership with carbon
consultancy Energise and 昀椀rst
published in January 2023, sets
a clear trajectory for the sector
to slash emissions by 90% by
2050 – the point at which only
10% of emissions can be o昀昀set.
“Net zero doesn’t mean doing
nothing and o昀昀setting it all,”
Charlie said. “It means reducing
your emissions as far as
practically possible before you
consider any o昀昀setting.”
A legal and moral imperative
The drive toward net zero
isn’t just ethical – it’s legally
mandated. Following the
landmark COP21 Paris
Agreement, the UK government
enshrined a legal target of
net zero carbon emissions by
2050. As of COP29 in 2024, this
includes an interim target of an
81% reduction by 2035.
“That’s just a decade away,”
Charlie said. “And while we’ve
made progress, particularly
thanks to the decarbonisation
AUTUMN 2025
