Supplying Timber Issue 9 0 - Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 55
A spotlight on transport
A revealing takeaway from the
roadmap is the breakdown
of timber-related emissions.
Although the sector contributes
just 0.35% of the UK’s territorial
CO₂ emissions – compared to
steel’s 2.7% and concrete’s 1.5%
– imported embodied emissions
bring the timber sector’s total to
nearly 0.75%.
“Transport accounts for
a whopping 55% of total
emissions,” Charlie explained,
“and that includes everything
from country-of-origin shipping
to local delivery from merchant
to end-user.” Of this, the quarter
that represents UK-based
transport – from port to mill, mill
to merchant, and merchant to
site – is where the industry has
direct in昀氀uence.
Reducing transport emissions
will be pivotal to meeting net
zero targets. The roadmap
proposes cutting road transport
emissions intensity by 25% by
2030, and 50% by 2035.
“We can’t just wait for zeroemission vehicles,” Charlie said.
“It’s about smarter logistics,
consolidating loads, route
planning, and modal shifts –
basically using fewer vehicles
more e昀케ciently.”
Decarbonising
the supply chain
While transportation is the
primary concern, the roadmap
also targets emissions across
processing, manufacturing,
forestry, and waste. The targets
are ambitious but achievable:
• Manufacturing/process
emissions to be halved by
2030
• Forestry emissions to be
reduced by 50% by 2040
• Scope 1 & 2 carbon
intensity down 90% by 2045
• Scope 3 (indirect
emissions) down 90% by
2050.
Scope 3 emissions, which cover
everything from raw material
extraction abroad to transport
logistics, are particularly
challenging. But Charlie believes
there are real opportunities for
in昀氀uence, especially through
procurement and partnerships
with lower-carbon producers.
He also believes there is
promise in the move towards
electric vehicles (EVs),
particularly when needing to
transport relatively lightweight
timber products compared to
bulkier materials like concrete or
aggregates.
“Electric trucks are more
feasible for timber than for
heavy industry,” he explained.
“We’re transporting lighter
loads, so battery range is less of
an issue.”
Charlie believes electric 昀氀eets
could begin making headway
by the end of the decade. For
rougher terrain and forest
operations, hydrogen may be
better suited.
“Hydrogen trucks have a
similar weight to diesel, which
makes them less likely to
damage roads,” Charlie noted, a
fact that is particularly relevant
in forest extraction operations
with fragile infrastructure.
“However, these are not likely to
be available until nearer 2040.”
SUPPLYING TIMBER
55
Practical tools for action
The Net Zero Roadmap isn’t just
a report – it’s designed to be
a toolkit that the entire timber
industry can use to move their
businesses towards net zero. It
includes:
• A sector-speci昀椀c carbon
calculator (available in Excel
or via Net Zero Club online)
• An opportunity checklist for
emissions reduction
• Action plan and
communications templates
• Policy and cost guidance
for emissions-reduction
initiatives.
The roadmap’s goal, Charlie
emphasised, is to provide the
industry with everything it needs
to take meaningful steps.
O昀昀setting, while only a 昀椀nal
step, still plays a role. The
roadmap advocates for naturebased carbon removals (ie,
permanent, credible o昀昀sets)
combined with reductions.
It also supports initiatives
to increase domestic timber
production and expand the
UK’s woodland stock, both of
which have the double bene昀椀t
of reducing import-related
emissions and bolstering the
UK’s green economy.
Timber may already be a
greener choice than steel or
concrete, but resting on its
laurels is not an option. As
Charlie warned: “If we don’t act,
other materials will make the
low-carbon claim before we do.”
With concrete and steel sectors
already piloting low-carbon
technologies, timber must move
fast to retain its environmental
edge.
For more information
and to download the roadmap,
visit: timberdevelopment.uk/
resources/net-zeroroadmap
AUTUMN 2025
USING TIMBER
of the electricity grid, there’s
still a long road ahead.”
In response to this need, the
Net Zero Roadmap identi昀椀es
emissions hotspots, provides
tools such as carbon calculators
and action plan templates,
and sets forth high-level policy
recommendations to steer the
sector to a sustainable future.
