68 | Feature: CTI Roundtable
INTERROGATES WOOD BUILDING OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES
INDUSTRY
Further validating engineered wood fire safety and using home-grown timber were topics covered at a wide-ranging CTI roundtable on prospects for boosting timber-based construction Mike Jeffree reports
It’s increasingly recognised that the UK should build more in timber to help construction decarbonisation and in turn help the country meet emission targets. The question is how that’s to be achieved – how do we develop a more wood-oriented construction culture?
This was the focus, both the challenges and opportunities facing timber building, of a special Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) roundtable at London’s ExCeL exhibition site during Futurebuild.
The event attracted participants from a range of sectors, from wood supply and timber building to developers, architecture and insurance, plus representatives of the London Assembly and local councillors. Special guest was Baroness Sue Hayman, Labour spokesperson in the Lords for the Departments of Environment (DEFRA) and
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and also new co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Timber Industries.
She said there was clear awareness in parliament that improving the environmental performance of construction and buildings was getting ever more urgent. “In London, for example, the built environment accounts for 78% of all carbon emissions,” she said. “And those emissions will only get higher as long as we don’t change the way we build.”
She added that the Lords had just put down amendments for the Levelling Up Bill around carbon in buildings and the built environment and that it would be “interesting to see the government’s response”.
Timber was also in the political discussion mix. “Both the Climate Change and
Environmental Audit Committees are talking about the potential of timber in construction to help us meet climate change goals,” said Baroness Hayman. The 2021 formation of the Timber In Construction Working Group (TIC), tasked with informing government on steps needed to boost timber-based and hybrid building, was another important development. “But once its report is out later this year, we must take on board [its recommendations] and not lose focus,” said Baroness Hayman. She added that she would take back what she heard at the CTI event, “on what the timber building sector needs and can contribute to ensure a sustainable future in construction”, to further inform policy debate. David Hopkins, chief executive of Timber Development UK (TDUK) said there were
Above left: Baroness Hayman spoke at the CTI roundtable Above right: Futurebuild hosted a number of conferences and presentations earlier this year TTJ | May/June 2023 |
www.ttjonline.com
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