As we dispose of our Christmas trees and embark on a new year, we should reflect on the environmental impact of our dependency on imported goods including timber. Rather than taking a holistic view of sustainability and addressing climate change objectives, we have instead simply outsourced the problem to other nations, importing huge quantities of timber each year from abroad. Unchecked this situation will only get worse as we chase a perverse version of sustainability, which is incompatible with saving our planet.
The construction industry is particularly reliant on timber from abroad. As we respond to the Governments challenge to construct 1.5 million homes, we must fully embrace biodiversity, ensuring we build better homes but conserve wildlife and create natural shade at the same time. This will also help mitigate against the inevitable increase in overheating associated with climate change while maximising the opportunity for forests to be a carbon sink.
Expanding our woods and forests
Any interventions we make at a housing and product level must be balanced by an investment in our natural habitat. In 2022 at the UN Biodiversity Conference, the UK Government committed to protecting and conserving a minimum of 30% of land and sea for biodiversity by 2030, known as 30x30. This target will be a key driver in reversing the decline of nature in the UK, by expanding and improving our woodlands and forests, creating new areas for wildlife and allowing nature to spill over into the wider landscape.
Given these challenges it seems incomprehensible that the UK Government and responsible housing developers are advocating the use of timber from abroad to build new homes. In 2013, the UK produced 3.6 million cubic metres of sawn wood, but also imported 5.5 million cubic metres. The structural timber used for building homes is 100% imported as timber grown in the UK does not have sufficient strength. This timber comes from countries including Scandinavia, Canada and most controversially Russia, the latter suspected of flowing into the EU illegally.
Forests are critical to the Earth's ecology. They capture and store carbon out of the atmosphere. They can alter the air quality and quantity of drinking water, and they provide habitat for many of the world's terrestrial species. And yet, alarming rates of deforestation are continuing all over the globe, despite warnings from scientists and urgent calls from environmentalists about the impacts on biodiversity and climate.
Biodiversity loss
If this trend continues unabated, the mass clearing of trees will result in the extinction of many forms of life on this planet. According to the World Animal Foundation, we are losing an estimated 137 species of plants, animals and insects every day due to deforestation. Despite growing awareness of the importance of preserving our forests, deforestation remains a growing problem, driven by various economic, social, and political factors. Deforestation is a global environmental issue that threatens biodiversity, disrupts climate balances, and undermines vital natural resources essential for human survival. Deforestation is the extensive felling of trees at a rate faster than their ability to regenerate. This practice leads to the loss of fertile soil and contributes to progressive desertification.
The repercussions of deforestation are numerous, including the degradation of ecosystems and the destruction of biodiversity. This compromises the ability of wildlife and habitats to adapt while significantly increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. It takes up to 100 years to grow new trees to maturity but just seconds to cut them down, many trees now being logged illegally. This business is worth an estimated $51–$152 billion annually, the illegal timber industry simultaneously threatening the world’s forests and stealing from local communities who rely on forests for their food, health, and wealth.
Masonry homes
Given the UK Governments leadership role in conserving wildlife and building new homes, it is surely unacceptable that we should encourage the mass destruction of natural habitats by importing timber from across the world in the name of sustainable construction. Those defending this practice suggest that timber homes with a design life of 60 years are more sustainable than masonry homes built to last 150 years. Severe weather events in other parts of the world have shown that timber construction will be not prove resilient as the UK experiences a significant increase in floods, winds, storms wildfires and overheating as a direct result of climate change. The tragic loss of life and property in the recent LA fires serves as a stark reminder that we should construct our homes using materials that do not burn. We should also consider how much wildfires contribute to CO2 emissions. In the Canadian province of British Columbia - a province with only 5 million people and vast forests - forest wildfires in recent years have emitted more CO2 than all fossil fuel burned by the population and industry in the province.
The ability to build better homes and meet new sustainability standards will be critical going forward for the UK government and the construction industry. Research carried out by Birmingham City University’s Centre for Future Homes confirms that masonry construction can meet most of the UK’s housing needs, while also meeting the proposed new Future Homes Standard. One development that was part of the research demonstrated a 91% reduction in operational carbon emissions. We need to invest in the decarbonation of our building products industry and construct masonry-built homes, while significantly reducing our dependency on timber imports. We must focus on creating more sustainable housing developments that conserve biodiversity, connect local services to where people live and work and are adaptable enough to meet the needs of future generations.
As we look to create a sustainable and resilient future, we cannot have it both ways.
Mike Leonard is a Visiting Professor at BCU, the CEO of the Building Alliance and leads the Centre for Future Homes