22 | Sector Focus: British Timber
SUMMARY
■ Global demand for timber may quadruple by 2050
■The long-term challenge of fibre supply and timber security has to be addressed urgently
■ The Timber in Construction Roadmap aims to increase the level of wood fibre used in UK construction
■ A 50-year UK softwood production forecast is due to be published later this year
CLEAR AMBITION
Could things be looking positive for future UK timber production? Andy Leitch, deputy chief executive of Confor, asks the question
In recent years there has been a growing interest in, and recognition of, the benefits of using more wood fibre in construction, in the UK and globally. The common drivers behind this are the environmental credentials of sustainably sourced wood, especially as a natural means of locking up carbon, its weight to strength ratio and the potential for reuse and recycling.
In fact, wood has become so popular that some are forecasting that global demand for sustainably sourced wood products may quadruple by 2050.
All of this is playing out in the UK and raising intriguing questions about the future for UK timber production. In essence, there is a short-term opportunity and a long-term challenge. The long-term challenge – of fibre supply and timber security, has to be addressed urgently as forests take time to grow, while the short- term opportunity is that fibre supply is set to grow faster than current consumption over the next 15-20 years.
The big prize, if we can address the longer- term challenge of timber security through action now, is that we can also unlock more investment in the short-term as investors will have greater confidence about long-term fibre supply. Currently, the UK is the second largest net importer of wood products in the world after China – around 80% of wood consumed here is imported.
Above: There is clear ambition to increase timber production in Britain TTJ | September/October 2025 |
www.ttjonline.com
Quite rightly the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments want to encourage the greater use of wood in construction, and they also want to avoid making the UK ever more reliant on imports – timber security. The
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101
