The decision to invest in an afforestation project with the primary aim of producing timber may involve many personal and environmental factors alongside financial considerations. Adoption of a forestry enterprise within a farming unit represents a change in land use and a long-term investment of land, labour and resources. Financial evaluation provides a structured and […]
Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Conifer Plantations
Expanding commercial conifer forestry is the most efficient strategy for achieving climate change mitigation through woodland creation, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. The ground-breaking research led by Bangor University, applied dynamic life cycle assessment to the UK’s national planting strategy of 30,000 ha yr-1 from 2020-2050. A total of 33 different […]
Top five alternative conifer tree species review
Forests and woodlands are as much part of the mix of solutions for the Biodiversity and Climate Emergency as they are themselves under threat from it. The UK Climate Change Committee have set out strong recommendations for 30,000 hectares of new woodland per annum by 2050 (UKCCC, 2020), of which a significant portion will likely […]
The new timber sales and marketing plan: Small processors and access to timber on Welsh Government Woodland Estate
NRW’s Timber Sales & Marketing Plan (2021-2026) can offer opportunities for the small timber processing community in Wales. The purpose of this paper is to interpret the Plan and its implications for small sawmillers. This will create a solid foundation for exploring the means by which small processors may be able access timber grown on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate […]
Unlocking the full potential of offsite manufactured timber housing in Wales: The Challenge of timber price volatility
Unprecedented price volatility of timber is constraining the development of the timber frame manufacturing sector. This threatens the delivery of Welsh Government’s affordable housing, MMC and zero carbon strategies. The purpose of this paper is to highlight issues of concern and offer first ideas to develop potential solutions. DOWNLOAD BRIEFING
Wood Fibre Insulation – Specification Guidance
A building’s thermal performance is now as important an aspect of the building’s design and construction as its structure. Energy prices and climate change are often cited as the principal reasons for the increased energy and CO2 reduction standards required of our built environment. Less known is the fact that insulation can also play a major role in our health, safety, comfort and wellbeing.
Clyro’s newest housing project takes shape
The drones flying over the community of Clyro in Powys over the past few months have been capturing images of the progress being made on one of Powys County Council’s first new rented housing projects for over 40 years. It’s part of the council’s response to the climate emergency and the housing challenges faced by many of its rural communities.
Whoever you vote for, wood wins – almost…
A comment by Gary Newman | I’ve trawled through the manifestos and tried to make sense of what might happen during the next term of the Welsh Government. I’m told that the manifestos are important as they are the one thing politicians can be held to account on and that the civil service are tasked to deliver. So, they’re pretty important documents, if a little hard to unpick as I’ve discovered.
Creating net zero carbon homes and communities in Wales
The Home-Grown Homes Project moves into a new phase. Our research findings on how we can use more of the timber we produce to deliver net zero carbon homes for social housing are all available in hands-on guidance, specification tools and reports. Now is the time to start delivering future homes that meet net zero […]
How to achieve zero carbon timber housing in Wales? Five options for further investigation.
In 2019 we presented a strategy (Zero Carbon Homes) for the integration of the Welsh forest industries supply chain with offsite timber construction. Focussed particularly on home-grown timber, we set out a series of key actions to transform the use of home-grown timber in house building through increasing supply chain integration, encouraging a focus on […]
