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Making Wood Work for Wales

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Wales Climate Week zoom session, 11:15-12:15, 6 December

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A thriving timber industry offers economic, environmental and social benefits to Wales. Opportunities exist all along the supply chain, from nurseries through forest management, harvesting, restocking, sawmilling, right through to the end-use of timber, for example in construction or furniture.

Join session chair, Huwel Manley, operations manager for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) as he hosts a remote panel discussion focused around how to make wood work for Wales. Panel members will include Woodknowledge Wales’ CEO, Gary Newman, Elaine Harrison, National Manager Wales at Confor: Confederation of Forest Industries (UK) and Steve Cranston, Project Lead for Welsh Government’s Delivering Net Zero.

This Wales Climate Week session will open by showcasing companies in Wales who use timber and who have chosen to put fairness at the heart of their operating models. The panel members will then discuss the actions needed to promote a healthy, growing timber industry in Wales.

  • How can the use of timber accelerate decarbonisation of the natural and built environments?
  • How can we deliver low-carbon housing in Wales through the use of Welsh grown timber? 
  • How can we encourage inclusive recruitment and retention in an industry with a huge range of jobs, skills and careers on offer?

Want to know more about the Welsh timber industry, carbon sequestration within timber products, timber training and careers?

This session will be of interest to anyone who:

  • would like to know more about the environmental, economic and social benefits offered by the Welsh timber industry.
  • are interested in reducing embodied carbon in construction, in taking a whole life-cycle approach which recognises carbon sequestration within timber products. 
  • are keen to learn about the breadth of different training, jobs and career paths across Wales and to explore inclusive approaches to employment.

Speakers

  • Elaine Harrison. National Manager for Wales. Confor (Confederation of Forest Industries).
  • Gary Newman. Chief Executive. Woodknowledge Wales.
  • Steve Cranston. Project Lead – Delivering Net Zero.
  • Huwel Manley. Head of Operations South West Wales. Natural Resources Wales.

Full speakers bios can be found at the Wales Climate Week Virtual Conference Programme

Format of the session

11:15-11:20Introduction
11:20-11:30Watch newly filmed case study videos from:
– timber contractors: Williams Homes,
– timber frame manufacturers: SO Modular, and
– award winning social enterprise: Down to Earth
11:30 – 11:55Q&A open panel discussion
12:10-12:15Sum up and close

Register now at Wales Climate Week (gov.wales) where you can also view the rest of the virtual conference agenda and other available resources.

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Sawmillers visit Grosvenor’s Eaton Estate in Cheshire

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Woodland creation is a viable economic option for some areas of the estate’s farmlands

Grosvenor Eaton Estate’s Head Forester Greg Vickers hosted a visit to the estate’s state-of-the-art sawmilling operation, Grosvenor TimberWorks, and woodlands for Woodknowledge Wales on 25th November 2023.

Participants enjoyed a two-hour morning tour of the sawmill located in Hatton Heath, near Chester, followed by an afternoon walk through just some of the extensive woodlands managed by Greg.

Since 2015, Greg has been Head Forester for more than 2,000 hectares of woodlands across Grosvenor’s Eaton Estate in Cheshire, the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire, the Halkyn and Nant Estates in Wales, and the Reay Forest Estate in Scotland.

The woodlands create local employment and supply materials to building and property maintenance activities across various estate holdings. The Eaton Estate alone has over 450 properties requiring routine maintenance and upgrades.

The Hatton Heath sawmill

Hatton Heath Mill took five years to build and became operational in 2021. To construct the sawmill, the project team had softwood grown on Grosvenor’s Reay Forest Estate in the North West Highlands shipped to BSW Fort William sawmill for processing, then transported to the Makar Workshop near Inverness. Here the workshop constructed frames and panels and had them transported down to the Eaton Estate for assembly. To fit in with the estate’s vernacular, the sawmill has a red-brick façade, and details such as red rainwater fittings. All the timber fittings within the building use estate-grown and processed hardwoods.

The site is on the southern edge of estate lands and was formerly a dairy farm. Three full time staff are employed in the mill, working five days a week. At present the sawmill aims to produce 2500m3 timber products per annum. The estate uses 20% of production internally across its various sites. The rest it sells to third parties. A small workshop facilitates on-site secondary processing of stock for the buildings team.

The mill works five days per week, usually milling hardwoods on two days and softwood for the other three days. The mill’s daily output can vary between 5m3 and 7m3 when processing hardwood, where special orders will often make up part of the production. When milling softwood, the outputs can rise to 15m3 per day.

The team stack timber outdoors for air drying prior to kilning. They fell and mill hardwoods in winter to avoid rapid drying during summer months.

As well as processing timber from its English and Welsh estates, timber is transported by ship from the Reay Estate via Kinlochbervie in Sutherland to Mostyn Docks. The short distance between the port and the estate helps minimise distance travelled by road, reducing its carbon footprint

The Eaton Estate woodlands

The Eaton Estate woodlands occupy over 400 hectares on the Cheshire plain. Planted for landscape and amenity use in the 1840’s on what had been agricultural land, the woodlands occupy sites along the five approaches (formal drives) to the main hall. The medieval ridge and furrow system are clearly visible within the woodland.

The heavy clay soils primarily hosts oak alongside a mix of broadleaf and conifers. Ash, alder, sycamore, lime, beech, hornbeam, and birch grow among Douglas fir, yew, larch, western red cedar, and Norway spruce. More recent plantings of hybrid lime and cherry have achieved yield class 8 to 10 with Douglas fir achieving yield classes in the high teens. Hornbeam is growing well but attempts to grow sweet chestnut have not been so successful.

Woodland creation is a viable economic option over traditional agricultural practices for some areas of the estate. In particular, the lower ground near the Dee flood plain.

The tour ended back at the sawmill and a donation was made to the Estate’s chosen charity in thanks for their hospitality.

For further information about our Community of Practice for Sawmillers and future site visits, please contact john.sweeney@woodknowledgewales.co.uk

Experts identify actions needed to mitigate potentially catastrophic threats to UK Forests

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New paper published highlighting key issues that must be addressed if our woodlands are to continue to deliver the range of benefits on which we depend.

A chilly pathway through the forest

Woodknowledge Wales’ Specialist Advisor Wood Science, Dainis Dauksta, and new board member Professor John Healey from Bangor University, joined a team of 42 European experts to carry out a horizon-scanning exercise and identify previously overlooked opportunities and threats faced by UK forests over the next 50 years.

Results were published in, ‘A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years‘ by Tew et al., whichwas published in Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research in November 2023 [1]

Dr Eleanor Tew, Head of Forest Planning at Forestry England and visiting researcher at Cambridge’s Department of Zoology emphasised that “The next 50 years will bring huge changes to UK forests: the threats they face, the way that we manage them, and the benefits they deliver to society” [2]

John Healey, Professor of Forest Sciences at Bangor University further explained that “There are many challenges to overcome to ensure that our woodlands not only provide crucial habitat for biodiversity conservation, and environments that are invaluable for human wellbeing, but also continue to produce wood as a vital renewable material that has a key role to play in achieving net zero emissions to meet the challenge of the climate crisis.” [3]

In the new paper, the authors focus on 15 emerging issues from a collated list of 180 that, while previously overlooked, are expected to have significant impact on UK forests over the next half century.

Source: Figure 2 Tew et al, A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years, Forestry

In their thematic analysis, the authors were able to map all fifteen issues across eleven themes of significance within three main categories: environmental shocks and perturbations, political and socio-economic drivers, and emerging interactions, as shown in Figure 2 above.

The top-ranking issue in the final list when scored individually by the expert panel was ‘Catastrophic forest ecosystem collapse’. A reference to the cascading consequences caused by the interconnected impact of a combination of hazards affecting forest environments, this level of damage to forest ecosystems has already been witnessed in North America and continental Europe. Other threats include competition with society for water, viral diseases, and extreme weather affecting forest management.

While delivering an unequivocal tale of caution and call to action, the final list of 15 issues summarised in the paper’s abstract includes a number of opportunities that are key to mitigating the adverse outcomes of climate change on both the natural world and human societies.

“It was notable that three of the selected 15 issues focused on predicted shifts in future wood product markets and the challenge of ensuring that commercial forest resources do match future value chains. It was important that the Woodknowledge Wales and Bangor University participants in the Expert Panel played a valuable role in advocating for the inclusion of these issues and developing their description in the resulting paper,” said Healey.

Summarising the significance of the expert review as a whole, Professor Bill Sutherland, Senior author and pioneer of horizon scanning at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, noted “We are already seeing dramatic events in Europe’s forests whether fires, disease or bark beetles, whilst the importance of trees is increasingly recognised. Horizon scanning to identify future issues is key, especially as trees planted now will face very different circumstances as they mature in scores of years.”  [2]

This research was funded by Forestry England. The Forestry Commission is bringing the sector together in 2024 to look at next steps.

References

1: Tew et al, A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years, Forestry DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad047

2: University of Cambridge Press release: 8 November 2023, www.cam.ac.uk/research/news, Accessed 13 November 2023

3. University of Bangor Press release, 8 November 2023, www.bangor.ac.uk/news/, Accessed 25 November 2023

CoP update: Joiners Community of Practice

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Newly launched CoP to focus on market differentiation, skills and how to make the joinery sector more engaging

Our new joiners Community of Practice (CoP) launched mid-November with a mix of different sized businesses participating. 

Those present expressed interest in being part of the Community so they might hear from others, discuss individual challenges, and learn about how to leverage opportunities. A number of topics for further discussion came up during this initial meeting. These included the challenges associated with market competition driven by imports from Europe and market differentiation. CoP members also want to discuss how they can support one another and their industry. In particular, they wish to look for opportunity around skills and recruitment, and how to attract and engage newcomers into the joinery sector.

Joinery businesses interested in discussing opportunities and challenges of skills and recruitment are encouraged to join the next meeting on 30th November, 9-10am via Zoom.  On the agenda:

  • Challenge: What is your biggest challenge – recruitment overall or lack of skilled people?
  • Recruitment: Are you or have you been experiencing any recruitment challenges? Is / was this impacting on your business? If so, how? Have you developed a process to mitigate this? If so, what does it look like?
  • Skills: Do you need to train new employees? Do you have a training programme for all staff? Do you have any working relationship with local colleges/universities?
  • Potential: If you had complete power, what would your top three actions be to turn this challenge into an opportunity?

Results of the discussion will inform a report on skills across all sectors of the wood value chain as part of the Home Grown Homes Project. 

If you are unable to attend but would like to share your views and experience with us, please contact christiane.lellig@woodknowledgewales.co.uk.

Global call for scalable biobased construction material solutions

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Built by Nature offers its first global prize worth €500,000 to reecognise innovation and stimulate scalability in the use of biobased materials in construction

We know from our work with construction professionals throughout the UK the importance of stimulating scalable innovation in products manufactured using sustainably sourced timber and renewable biobased materials such as timber, bamboo, hemp, straw, algae, and fungi. Generating up to 40% of the world’s greenhouse gases, the built environment offers huge potential in the application of tangible, realistic solutions that address climate change through decarbonisation of our cities and buildings.

“Where was this prize twenty-five years ago when I was running my hemp factory?” exclaimed Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales. “It is fantastic to see initiatives like this supporting development of nature-based solutions, which are so critical to the sustainability and decarbonisation agenda. The need for such support is essential to regenerating the natural and build environments throughout the world.”

The Built by Nature Prize, totalling €500,000, is supported by Laudes Foundation and LTPP, aims to identify and attract biobased construction material manufacturers and their market-ready innovations from all regions and help those producers overcome barriers to mainstream market entry.

“Given the scale of urban development that is inevitable around the world over the coming decades, we simply cannot afford to build in the way we have in most of Europe for the last few hundred years. We urgently need to find innovative, renewable, low-carbon construction materials to radically reduce the embodied carbon footprint of new buildings and cities,” said Paul King, Built by Nature CEO.

Built by Nature, a network and grant-making fund, has awarded €3.3 million in grants to date with additional co-funding of €2.2 million toward 28 projects across Europe focused on developing solutions to overcome barriers and stimulate increased uptake of biobased materials, with a focus on mass timber. 

To reflect the global scope of the Prize, the judging panel is comprised of leading experts from the built environment, architecture, finance, social value, and biomaterials from around the world. Dr Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect and renowned for her leadership at the intersection of architecture and social justice, will serve as Honorary Advisor to the Built by Nature Prize. The Prize jury members are:  

  • Arief Rabik – Chair and Founder of Bamboo Village Trust, and founder and CEO of PT Indobamboo Lestari in Indonesia. 
  • Ariel Shtarkman – Managing Partner of Undivided Ventures, co-Founder and Managing Director of Atom Assets. 
  • Mae-ling Lokko, from Ghana and the Philippines, is Assistant Professor at Yale University’s School of Architecture, specialising in agrowaste and biobased materials.  
  • Stig Hessellund – Architect and project manager with Realdania, with a primary focus on sustainable development in the construction industry. 
  • Ana Belizario is head of business development at Brazilian mass timber producer Urbem. 

The prize’s overall winner will receive an award of €250,000 with the criteria focusing on the demonstrated potential for significant carbon emissions reduction and benefits to nature and local communities.  

Three runners-up prizes of €50,000 each will also be awarded based on the same criteria, with €100,000 in discretionary funds reserved for promising projects judged to be worthy of support. 

To qualify, proposed solutions must be composed primarily of biomaterials with primary use intended for the built environment; indicate that the product can be successfully manufactured and implemented using currently available technology, and the product/service must already be in market, whether through an early-stage pilot project or openly available. 

In addition to the prize money, valuable exposure and storytelling opportunities, benefits to award recipients will include introductions across Built by Nature’s extensive frontrunner and partner networks for mentoring support, access to potential investors and new markets,​ and facilitated connections to peers facing similar challenges and opportunities around the world​. By promoting public and industry awareness and education around the potential benefits and applications of the materials solutions, the winners will directly contribute to Built by Nature’s vision and mission. 

The deadline for applications is January 25, 2024, with final winners to be announced on June 4. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the Built by Nature Prize website for full details. 

Home-Grown Homes 2 Update

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November 2023

This update has been prepared by David Hedges, our Head of Housing and the Home-Grown Homes 2 project manager

David Hedges

New Personnel

This month, the Woodknowledge Wales Team has been boosted by the appointment of two new members. 

Flora Seddon has been appointed as the third of researchers by Bangor University and will focus on delivering the Project’s work to scale up farm forestry through collective and collaborative management’. Collective management of dispersed small-scale farm woodlands will be essential for addressing society’s demand for timber which is set to triple over the next thirty years. Flora will explore how geographically dispersed farm woodlands can be managed collectively to overcome the scaling issues of farm-level timber production and how forest products can be collaboratively marketed. She will focus on the UK (and Wales specifically) but draw on examples of collective management of small-scale forestry abroad.

Toby Maclean has joined the team as Specialist Advisor Construction and will be supporting us in delivering those elements of the Project focussed on carbon analysis and reduction. Toby is a structural engineer with a diverse career engineering everything from oil platforms and concert halls to handbags.  He established the successful TALL Engineers in 2005 that went on to build a reputation for providing practical yet technically sophisticated and holistic solutions to diverse projects in the built environment and concentrating on design from first principles, with the firm increasingly concentrating on timber as a structural material.  Having sold this firm, in 2020 Toby established Allt Environmental to atone for past carbon sins and to address the urgent need to decarbonise the built environment especially in relation to embodied carbon. Since Allt was established, Toby has mixed project work, research and consultancy, with a focus in understanding the environmental impacts of timber in construction.

Sawmill sustainability

Our work with sawmills across Wales continues with further engagement with mills to see new investment, support collective action of NRW timber sales and tackle challenges like the lack of hauliers and weighbridges.  Partners ASBP and GHA are making good progress on the development of carbon tools for timber processors, timber manufacturers, designers and clients and we are looking to work with a number of our members on Building Performance Evaluation on projects that are nearing completion on site, before the current ‘heating season’ ends in March next year. (I don’t think we can refer to the CoPs anymore because of the risk that we’ll be accused of double funding!

The Skills and Recruitment Review

We have seen the completion of the first main project output – a review of education and training in forestry and advanced manufacturing and the emerging conclusions around the following issues which featured in all of the stakeholder interviews James Moxey and Ceri Loxton have carried out over the past few months:

1.   Awareness: gaining the attention of wider society to the role that forestry and low-carbon construction play in decarbonising Welsh society;
2.   Interest: focusing on the incentives that will encourage people to consider starting their careers within the sectors;
3.   Access: create the appropriate learning pathways to get the best training and develop the skills needed; and

4.   Workforce: support entrants to the sector by creating opportunities to gain experience, employment, and Continuing Professional Development.

There are recommendations to address the skills and recruitment gaps and interestingly there are challenges, causes and potential solutions common to both sectors. The report is going to be circulated for comment to the stakeholders and the feedback will be reviewed in December.

Wales’ first Timber Industrial Strategy

This will take shape next year with a consultation by the Climate Change Minister Julie James MS which will align with other initiatives like the Delivering Net Zero Project and the Net Zero Skills Action Plan for example. As part of the Project, we are supporting the development of the Strategy and we are currently putting together a series of case studies which will be incorporated into the consultation document. These will focus on growers, processors, manufacturers and clients.

Membership and Communities of Practice (CoP) Manager

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Job opportunity: Join the Woodknowledge Wales team and mission

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Membership and Communities of Practice (CoP) Manager Job Opportunity

Are you passionate about collaborative approaches as a means to drive change? Do you believe in the importance of developing and supporting strong relationships with member organisations built on trust and shared ambitions? Are you committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our natural and built environments? If so, would you like to work with us in Wales?

We’re a growing and highly motivated multi-disciplinary team. As our Membership and Communities of Practice Manager, you will help develop our membership further as well as strengthen relationships with existing member organisations across forestry and land use and the timber supply chain. You will support our communities of practice, a collaborative network of practitioners across the wood value chain. Your role in building knowledge and trust among our members is key to accelerating the just transition to a zero carbon Wales. As such, your work will be instrumental for all aspects of our ongoing and future projects from forest creation up to completed buildings.

Find out more about our current membership on our members page.

Read about our collaborative network of practitioners on our communities of practice page.

Job description

JOB TITLEMembership & Communities of Practice Manager
PURPOSE OF JOBTo manage and develop our membership and our communities of practice (CoP) and to support the Woodknowledge Wales team in delivering on its wider mission and purpose.
REPORTING TOGary Newman, Chief Executive
COLLABORATING WITHCommunities of Practice directorCommunities of Practice chairsCommunications manager
LOCATIONCardiff Office or home-based with an expectation to travel within Wales and the borders as required by the job. This primarily relates to in-person CoP events, visits to our members and occasional in-person team meetings.
AREA OF WORKThroughout Wales working with organisations in the timber supply chain from forest to end-product.
HOURS OF WORKFull-time. Part-time considered. Some long days may be required from time to time including occasional overnight stays.
SALARYBetween £33k and £38k depending on experience
DURATIONFunding for this post is currently secured until 31st March 2025 with an aspiration to develop a long-term funding model for this core role.
HOW TO APPLYSend your CV with a covering letter stating why you believe you are suited to the post to gary.newman@woodknowledgewales.co.uk
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION3rd December 2023
DATE & LOCATION FOR INTERVIEWMonday 11th December 2023 – online or in Bangor, Gwynedd

About the role

This is a pivotal role in our organisation. You are the key contact and the face of the organisation, when it comes to our members. You are coordinating requests from our team members for collaborations with our members as well as requests coming in from our members. Together with our Communications Manager you will develop member communications. In collaboration with our Chief Executive and members of the team you will work on expanding and developing our membership further.

A significant part of your role is to manage and support our communities of practice (CoPs) in collaboration with the CoP director and the CoP leads. We are currently running five such collaborative networks and are planning to establish two further CoPs over the coming 18 months. Each community has a member of our team assigned as their dedicated CoP lead. The CoP director is responsible for knowledge sharing and learning across these networks by bringing together the CoP leads in our internal ‘CoP of CoPs’.

Our CoPs gather professionals of the same trade or supply chain level around a shared challenge or opportunity. They are an essential part of our work, guiding what we focus upon as well as informing and validating outputs across our projects. This approach helps to extend impacts and accelerate shared learning within and across the supply chain.

Our CoPs are centred around practical solutions and capacity building and give members the opportunity to prototype innovative approaches together with others. Each community defines its own agenda and schedule of actions based on the needs of its members. Woodknowledge Wales ensures flow of information between CoPs, so that we can progress together.

Key Responsibilities

  • Membership engagement and development
  • Supporting the development of our CoPs by working with the CoP leads to plan, organise, attend, potentially facilitate, and report meetings and events.
  • Being able to work effectively with a diverse range of organisations in our existing CoPs (Architects and Designers, Timber Frame Manufacturers, Housing Associations, Small Timber Processors and Joinery Manufacturers) as well as helping to develop new communities in the areas of farming and forestry.
  • Identifying opportunities for collaboration, innovation and change across the supply chain to demonstrate the value of participation in the CoPs, thereby helping to deliver project objectives and help deliver on Woodknowledge Wales vision and purpose.
  • Being pro-active and creative in problem solving.
  • Preparing progress reports and contributing to writing articles for Woodknowledge Wales newsletters and website

In addition, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the overall mission of Woodknowledge Wales and help design, organise and participate in events such as webinars, workshops and conferences (incl. the annual WoodBUILD conference and expo)

Key abilities / experience

We are looking for someone who can work closely with a growing, independently working team of driven individuals in a flexible and supportive way across job boundaries. You must be able to engage with all relevant individuals and organisations in the supply chain from forest to construction sector. You must be able to do this in a way that promotes trust and supports the mission and purpose of Woodknowledge Wales as an independent for-public-good organisation. You must be able to communicate with humility, empathy and clarity in discussion around complex challenges to landscapes and communities posed by climate change.

Person Specification

Essential criteria

  • Project management
  • Evidence of effective partnership working
  • Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office
  • An organised self-starter, able to manage own workload and work independently to tight time scales
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – specifically the ability to work closely with and build trust with partner organisations
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, coming up with ideas and solutions as issues arise.
  • Willingness to work in a flexible way and respond to changing circumstances.
  • Full, clean driving license and access to a car for travel throughout those parts of Wales where there is limited access to public transport.

Desirable criteria

  • Facilitation skills. We can organise training in facilitation skills if required.
  • Be up to date with changes in legislation which impact on the forestry, timber and construction supply chain.
  • Understanding and experience of wider delivery of social value.
  • Welsh language skills would be a plus.

About Woodknowledge Wales

Woodknowledge Wales is an independent mission driven membership alliance. We are a charitable Community Benefits Society, which is a form of cooperative that exists for the benefit of society. We are governed by a voluntary board. We aim to create and share knowledge to accelerate change. We believe that timber demand and supply can be better aligned and more purposefully driven to deliver greater climate change mitigation and biodiversity enhancement across land use and construction. We are transparent and collaborative in our approach.

We are a growing interdisciplinary team of driven individuals motivated to inspire, catalyse and accelerate the transformation to a regenerative zero carbon society through the growing of trees and the use of wood. We believe that the most effective way to do this is to build trust in the change agenda by supporting organisations involved in both timber use and supply. We seek to capture and share the knowledge gained by holding engaging events, by creating informative case studies, by developing new guidance and through inspiring communication. We support policy makers to create enabling policies and then help overcome barriers to implementation.

Download job description

Circular wood use for accelerated global decarbonisation

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New research calls for cross-sectoral coordination to maximize net zero benefits of wood recycling

Perhaps not just a pile of old pallets or biomass?

Whilst less than 1% of waste wood goes to landfill in the UK, a new study published in Nature Communications proposes further efficiencies. A team of researchers from Bangor University, the University of Galway in Ireland and Woodknowledge Wales, analysed the whole life cycle of the current timber value chain. They believe collaboration and system change is needed to achieve even longer sequestration of the carbon locked within timber already in use within the supply chain.

The full paper, Circular wood use can accelerate global decarbonisation but requires cross-sectoral coordination [1], was written by Eilidh Forster, John Healey, Gary Newman and David Styles. It was published online by Nature Communications on 25 October 2023 and is open access. The original press release can be read via Bangor University’s news page. [2]

“The UK is currently able to produce only a fraction of the wood it requires yet recovered wood ‘waste’ is an under-valued resource. Improved transparency, reporting and management of recovered wood could create a multitude of circular business opportunities.” Eilidh Forster, lead author and PhD researcher, Bangor University

Enhancing the benefits of timber towards net zero

Wood harvested from sustainably managed forests is an important source of renewable biomaterial and global demand for wood is forecast to increase by up to 170% by 2050. In 2022, UK timber imports cost £11.5 billion.

Carbon captured during tree growth is retained in wood from harvested trees. The manufacture of timber products already tends to minimise greenhouse gas emissions relative to the manufacture of materials such as concrete and steel. Additionally, timber products are excellent carbon stores throughout the full life cycle of those products.

The benefits of timber towards net zero can be enhanced further by applying the principles of the circular economy. By identifying new ways to use, then reuse timber, before reusing that wood again – perhaps in the form of chipboard or wood fibre – there is huge potential to extend the service life of wood. By doing so, that captured atmospheric carbon is stored within that wood. Additionally, reusing wood in this ‘cascading’ manner (a concept introduced and explained in detail in Forster et al’s first paper [3]) brings down the demand for fresh supplies. As a result, there are also increased net carbon sequestration gains from reduced harvesting of virgin wood and reduced transport costs for timber imports.

Biogenic carbon material flow from wood harvest going to Hierarchical or ‘cascading’ use [2, Figure 3]

A circular or cascading wood flow as shown in the reproduced Figure above, delivers multiplied efficiencies in the journey to net zero. The report presents results that indicate a circular approach to recycling medium-density fibreboard (MDF) in the UK alone could deliver ‘75% more cumulative climate-change mitigation by 2050’ when compared with the current, ‘business-as-usual’ single-use approach. In combination with the complementary, if slower, long-term benefits of planting new forests for wood production, the cumulative effects of these two approaches alone could mitigate 258.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Which equals 61% of the total of net territorial emissions of the UK in the single year of 2021.

“Planting new production forests to meet future wood demand is a very important priority for achieving net zero, however it will take several decades for this benefit to be realised, and we can’t afford to wait that long to reduce the current rate of global warming. Therefore, we also need to act urgently to increase the efficiency with which we reuse current wood products to reduce the pressure that we are placing on global forests to meet our needs.” John Healey, study co-author and Professor of Forest Sciences, Bangor University

System change needed to maximise potential benefits of timber

The new research highlights that, while there are many potential benefits for net zero to be leveraged further, the current UK timber manufacturing system incorporates significant barriers that will first need to be overcome. The aims of the paper were to highlight these barriers and propose solutions that might enable maximum efficiency towards net zero across the timber value chain.

The researchers cite uncertainty of land-use subsidies, poor transparency of material flow through the value chain, and a lack of agreed circularity metrics among other barriers. They also note that low public awareness means the industry isn’t under social pressure and that this, in turn, has enabled conservatism towards change. To resolve these issues, the authors recommend industry collaboration towards cross-sector co-ordination, government intervention on matters such as compulsory deconstruction planning requirements for the built environment, and extended responsibility from manufacturers across the entire life cycle of their products.

“To substantially increase the efficiency of the whole system will require some significant changes in the wood using industries in UK, backed-up by better-targeted government policies, to substantially improve their co-ordination from afforestation to better wood recovery and reuse.” David Styles, study co-author and Associate Professor in Agri-sustainability, University of Galway.

Use, reuse, and reuse again before end-of-life biomass

Currently, a huge proportion of our out-of-service timber products are burnt as biomass to generate heat or electricity. The research team point out that there is opportunity to re-use or recycle these products several times prior to what should be perceived only as a final, end-of-life use as biomass.

Collect, recycle, reuse – striving for a zero-waste economy Source: Circular Economy, Kronospan

There are already several pioneering projects here in Wales that do employ circular thinking to timber reuse with great success. Particleboard manufacturers are increasing their use of recycled wood chips and innovative methods are being used to recover wood fibres from MDF board recovered from residential demolition. Recovered wood fibres can then be used as insulation, locking in the carbon for many more tens of years again within new build homes. If installed with recovery in mind, this same insulation might then be recoverable for further use in the next generation of new builds. This circular thinking can extend the use of the original harvested tree for hundreds more years.

“Moving to a circular economy is difficult but essential if we are to meet both our decarbonisation targets as well as our future resource needs. This paper shows the size of the win and makes practical suggestions for how we might get there. Woodknowledge Wales is an experiment in the kind of cross-sector coordination advocated by this research.” Gary Newman, study co-author and Chief Executive of Woodknowledge Wales.

References

1: Forster, E. J., Healey, J. R., Dymond, C. & Styles, D. , Circular wood use can accelerate global decarbonisation but requires cross-sectoral coordination. Nature Communications, 14:6766, (2023) DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-42499-6

2: Recycling used wood can make a big contribution to net zero but it needs much better coordination, Press Release, https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/ [Accessed 26 October 2023]

3: Forster, E. J., Healey, J. R., Dymond, C. & Styles, D. Commercial afforestation can deliver effective climate change mitigation under multiple decarbonisation pathways. Nature Communications, 12:3831 (2021) DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-24084-x

Further reading

Wales launches Net Zero Skills consultation

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Sector consultation

Welsh Government's Net Zero Sector Skills Action Plan graphic

Welsh Government has launched its Net Zero Sector Skills consultation [1-3]. The consultation provides an opportunity to strengthen our understanding of the current skills position for each emission sector in Wales, as outlined in Net Zero Wales.

“As the timber construction industry is a key opportunity for future zero carbon Wales, it is very important that Woodknowledge Wales members contribute to this consultation. For those who wish to input into the Woodknowledge Wales response, please contact James.” Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales

The window for responses will cover a three month period where all stakeholders with an interest in contributing and shaping the skills needed to support our net zero journey are asked to respond.

The consultation will end on 31st December 2023.

“Skills will be a key enabler as we transition to a net zero economy. Everyone needs to take responsibility and play their part in taking action to improve practices, investing in people and communities to innovate and build a more resilient economy. This is just the start of this process and Government cannot tackle the challenge alone. A Team Wales approach is the only way we can drive forward these changes and meet our net zero commitments.” Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Economy [1]

Net Zero Skills Sector Consultation Annex 2: Roadmap [3]

The Net Zero Skills Action Plan (‘the Plan’) [4] was launched in February 2023. The plan sets out this Government’s commitment to support our just transition to net zero through a more co-ordinated approach. It prioritises 7 key areas and contains 36 actions, recognising the importance of skills in supporting our net zero challenges by equipping our current and future workforce with the right options and opportunities. 

Achieving a just transition to net zero is essential; we must leave no-one behind as we move to a greener, fairer future. Source: Stronger, Fairer, Greener Wales: Net Zero Skills Action Plan [4]
Net Zero Skills Action Plan from Addysg Cymru / Education Wales

In the development of the Plan, research and evidence was commissioned to inform the plan’s actions, this included the evidence from the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP). Their Net Zero skills: Insights and evidence from emission sectors in Wales Report [5] set out the current net zero skills position across Wales, the future skills needs, and gaps to meet the changing demands on the workforce for the transition to net zero.

Continued implementation of the action plan is scheduled throughout 2023 with targeted support for employers, an awareness raising campaign and Ministerial events. The Welsh Government will maintain strong links with industry and stakeholders throughout this phase to ensure all inputs are harnessed to help shape skills needs and the future offer.

A report on the outcomes of the consultation will be published in 2024. Development and publication of sector-specific roadmaps and implementation will continue throughout next year.

References

1: OPEN CONSULTATION: Net zero sector skills, Consultation description, www.gov.wales, 11 October 2023, [Accessed October 2023]
2: OPEN CONSULTATION, DOCUMENT. Net zero sector skills, www.gov.wales, 11 October 2023, [Accessed October 2023]
3: Net Zero Action Plan Sector Annex A: Roadmap, www.gov.wales, 11 October 2023, [Accessed October 2023]
4: Stronger, Fairer, Greener Wales: Net Zero Skills Action Plan, 28 February 2023, Policy and Strategy, Welsh Government, www.gov.wales [Accessed October 2023]
5: Net Zero skills: Insights and evidence from emission sectors in Wales Report, 28 February 2023, Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP), www.wcpp.org.uk [Accessed October 2023]

W Howard and MDF Recovery agree UK and Ireland licensing deal

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Member news

W Howard Ltd, has agreed a multi-year licence for the use of MDF Recovery’s unique MDF recycling technology to produce loose-fill wood fibre insulation in the UK & Irish markets. Work on a new facility in Newtown Powys has started and first production is expected early next year.

Natural insulation is one of the fastest growing market sectors in Europe. In a growing market for natural construction materials, wood fibre has many benefits including ease of use, thermal mass, breathability and appeal to increasingly CO2 conscious house builders and consumers.

“This is a very exciting collaboration between two Woodknowledge Wales members. Making better use of waste wood is just as important as growing more trees. Added to that, the UK desperately needs domestic production of wood fibre insulation. I’m delighted that this ground-breaking project is combining both insulation production and the upcycling of waste wood and is happening in Wales.” Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales

“MDF Recovery’s technology is unique and we are delighted to have obtained the exclusive licence for the production of loose fill insulation in the UK and Ireland,. As a company, we are always seeking new and innovative products that fit in our vision of ‘products in every home’. The demand for natural building materials is only going to increase and the addition of a recycled wood fibre insulation is an exciting addition to our product portfolio,” Jonathan Grant, Group Chief Executive, W Howard

The latest information from FAOSTAT indicates that over 110 million m3 of MDF was produced around the world in 2021. Significant volumes of waste are generated as new MDF boards are converted into products such as furniture and shop fittings with more material entering the waste stream at the end of its first user life. Until the advent of MDF Recovery’s patented and cost-effective technology, far too much of this waste has been sent to landfill or incinerated. W. Howard will now also be able to recover their waste products as well as offering its customers a closed loop supply chain so they can return end of life products for conversion back into to wood fibre for insulation.

“W Howard’s commitment and investment in the first production plant using our technology is a significant step forward for MDF Recovery. The market, governments and consumers are all keen to encourage re-use of materials and the circular economy. Waste MDF – either during processing or at end of life – is no longer a problem that has to be dealt with, but a valuable resource of high-quality wood fibres. We look forward to seeing W Howard’s loose fill insulation product meeting the needs of house builders and the construction industry across the UK and Ireland.” Craig Bartlett, CEO, W Howard

The past three months have been momentous for MDF Recovery. The deal with W Howard comes soon after the announcement of a global partnership with PAL, part of the Italian multi-national equipment manufacturer IMAL PAL, for the use of MDF Recovery’s technology in MDF manufacturing and a successful £1.7 million pound fund raising.