TIMBER CONSTRUCTION NEWS
STA Responds to government’s net zero strategy The Structural Timber Association (STA) has welcomed the
“Naturally, as the STA we believe that timber is an excellent building
Government’s Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, which places
material when used in an appropriate context and our objective is – of
a firm emphasis on reducing the embodied carbon of buildings by
course – to promote its many benefits. However, we firmly believe that
adopting more sustainable materials, such as timber.
this should be achieved by providing fact-based, unbiased information
Andrew Orriss, Chief Operating Officer of the STA, commented: “This
that supports informed specification choices. There is no one-size-fits
is an excellent step forward in policy, which we support wholeheartedly.
all solution and we recognise that there is space within the market for
It’s encouraging to see that the Government has listened to the many
all construction materials – indeed, we would welcome engagement on
industry voices that have been calling for regulatory guidance on
increasing the delivery of hybrid constructions. We believe this is the
embodied carbon and that the strategy intends to improve carbon
most pragmatic way of achieving the overall goal of significant carbon
reporting and explore maximum limits on future new builds. With the
reduction.
construction industry contributing 39% of global carbon emissions –
“To that end, we’re working closely with industry stakeholders to
and with embodied carbon accounting for 11% of that total – it’s clear
forge stronger links and provide stability for those working in timber
that reducing the carbon footprint of the materials we use will have a
construction and have produced a series of guides and a white paper, to
significant impact.
provide a better understanding of the use of timber in construction from
“Recognising the enormous potential for carbon sequestration
a risk management perspective. Our online library contains a wealth of
that timber offers, it’s heartening to see that the Net Zero Strategy
documents, with information on all aspects of timber construction, from
also includes a commitment to developing a policy roadmap for
Building Regulations to best practice principles. It is a valuable resource
increasing the use of timber in construction. We welcome the proposed
which can assist those specifying structural timber for projects or provide
cross-government and industry working group, which will be tasked
technical support during installation on-site.”
with increasing public demand for sustainably sourced timber and More at www.structuraltimber.co.uk
encouraging research into overcoming the barriers to timber uptake.
Timber Construction Magazine
Winter 2021
02
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