In a groundbreaking move towards sustainability, the UK government launched a comprehensive Timber in Construction Roadmap in December 2023, aimed at boosting the construction industry, reducing emissions, and propelling the nation towards its ambitious Net Zero targets.
The roadmap calls for the supply of sustainable timber products in the UK to be increased, an initiative we both support and celebrate at Nine Zero, as we continue to manufacture timber windows and doors to help reach the Net Zero target. As people have become more environmentally conscious, timber products have become more popular, part of this is due to timber’s ability to sequester carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere. This popularity will only increase as a result of the Timber in Construction Roadmap, as more businesses take the step towards reducing their emissions.
What is carbon sequestering?
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing, removing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is one of the ways to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in order to reduce global climate change.
Currently around 25% of the UK’s gas emissions are from the built environment. Larger structures built from engineered timber products are able to store up to 400% more carbon compared to those built from concrete. Therefore, using timber in construction is one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.
Using timber in construction
The Timber in Construction Roadmap can help reduce the Whole Life Carbon of the UK’s built environment, in turn assisting the country with reaching Net Zero by 2050. Simply by using timber in construction, the embodied emissions coming from the construction materials in a single building can be reduced by 20% to 60%. More carbon can be stored in timber compared to other materials, which is why carbon storage in a single building is typically around 50% higher in a timber framed home. Therefore, by committing to using more timber in construction, we are actively reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere as it is being stored within the timber.
Key actions
The Timber in Construction Roadmap outlines key actions to help this sustainable revolution:
Data Improvement: Enhancing data on timber and whole-life carbon.
Promotion of Timber: Positioning timber as a preferred construction material.
Capacity Building: Boosting skills, capacity, and competency across the supply chain.
Sustainable Supply: Increasing the supply of sustainable timber products.
Fire Safety Measures: Addressing concerns to safely expand the use of engineered mass timber.
Industry Collaboration: Building collaboration with insurers, lenders, and warranty providers.
Innovation: Promoting innovation and high-performing timber construction systems.
Timber products from Nine Zero
Replacing your windows and doors is now more necessary than ever as our homes create a huge amount of carbon dioxide, and even just by installing timber windows and doors, you can reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
By using timber in construction as well as window and door products, the UK’s built environment will begin to decarbonise as carbon emissions reduce. At Nine Zero, we have always been conscious of our carbon emissions and have actively worked to reduce our carbon footprint. All our timber products are made using FSC certified engineered Redwood and Red Grandis timber to ensure they are as sustainable as possible.
At Nine Zero, we manufacture high-quality bespoke timber windows and doors, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today for more information or to get started with your project.