the wood and wood products industry
Sustainable Construction
The UK Government in June 2008 published their Strategy for Sustainable Construction. The strategy sets out overarching targets including one on responsible sourcing of construction products; with the forest certification schemes - timber is well ahead of the game. The strategy encourages the Government and industry to work together, with other organisations playing their parts, for example:
Construction Products Association (CPA) is encouraging the industry to develop products and processes that contribute to a more sustainable built environment. The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) is working with members and other stakeholders to create a ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’, a shared vision of a sustainable built environment that provides a path for the industry, its clients and policy makers to follow.
The trend for construction projects to consider their environmental impact has been steadily growing over the past few years. Building regulations have adapted to take account of environmental issues such as the introduction of Part L. A first draft of the revised 2010 building regulations approved document on energy consumption should be available by April 2009 and requirements are set to increase significantly. A new version of SAP, the software package used to measure and set performance requirements for homes, is also planned. Additionally, schemes such as BREEAM, EcoHomes and the Code for Sustainable Homes have been developed and adopted by the UK Government. These initiatives aim to tackle both local and global environmental issues, from waste management to climate change. Other countries have introduced similar schemes, for example in the US, LEED. They all consider the environmental impact of the materials used in similar ways: is the product responsibly sourced and what is its environmental rating.
Timber scores well on both counts; construction products consistently rate A/A+ in BRE's Green Guide and the majority of these products bear the FSC or PEFC logo. This increasing trend and interest in sustainable construction has prompted the European Commission to initiate the development of CEN 350 which looks likely to mirror existing schemes such as BREEAM, etc.
Therefore, architects and specifiers will benefit both commercially and ethically by using timber in construction. On the one hand it helps them reduce their environmental impact whilst helping to protect the world's forests and the communities they support.
TTF Members can click here to download a copy of a presentation which looks at various wood waste resource efficiency projects in the UK.
The following organisations offer CPD training courses and further information on using timber in construction:
Related Documents
EST Part L March 06 (EST Part L Briefing.pdf)Overview of the Building Regulations Part L requirements
