Construction, as an industry, contributes significantly to human-driven climate change. Extracting all of those materials, manufacturing all of those tools, and transporting everything to a building site – all of these things are carbon-intensive.
Concrete and steel require large amounts of energy to create and ship. Their sheer weight, moreover, means that buildings must be made on top of extensive foundations. All of this helps to drive up the carbon footprint.
In light of this, we might view the industry as rife with opportunities to limit the damage. Small gains made here could be significant in reducing harm in the long term.
One of the most promising changes involves the use of timber as a building material. In some cases, the role of the right kind of timber can be central and fundamental. If extracted the right way, timber can be carbon-neutral – provided that the trees themselves are being replanted after they’ve been cut down.
Environmental Benefits
Trees play an important role in driving down the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Younger forests, moreover, are much more efficient at sinking carbon than older ones – which is why a cycle of continual replanting can be so beneficial. While an old tree will drink in plenty of airborne carbon, young saplings can be planted much closer together, which results in a greater carbon-sink overall.
Certain kinds of plant, like bamboo, will grow much more quickly than others – which makes it incredibly popular as a green building material. More popular choices in Europe come in the form of fast-growing softwoods like pine and spruce, which, provided that they are sourced properly, are incredibly sustainable.
Timber also makes sense for the end of a building’s life. Old structures that are made of timber can be simply taken out, ground up and used as compost for new trees.
The right supply chain is crucial. We might look, for an example, to builder’s merchants like Selco, which, through its ESG strategy, has offset emissions to the tune of around 300,000 planted trees.
Technological Advancements
There are a few recent technological advancements which make timber structures more viable. Fire-resistant treatments allow us to be confident that these buildings are not going to spread fire quickly. Engineered wood products, and modular structures, allow us to put a building together quickly using premade parts, with minimal on-site carpentry.
We should note that not all timber materials are made entirely out of timber. Sheet materials like MDF and plywood will contain some non-negligible amount of glue. Moreover, all timber needs to be sawn, planed, and (often) sanded before it can be used in construction, so perfect sustainability isn’t possible unless we’re planting more trees than we’re tearing up.
