Woodknowledge Wales

Woodknowledge Wales

Inspiring innovation through collaboration

Whole Life Carbon

Pioneering Circular Economy in Architecture

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Renowned author in sustainable architecture, Duncan Baker Brown, to speak at WoodBUILD 2024 workshop on 3 July at 11:30: ‘Circular economy and Sustainable schools challenge’

Image: Dan Baker Brown, founder of BakerBrown, author and leading voice in sustainable architecture

Duncan Baker Brown, founder of BakerBrown Studio, a practice focussing on architecture and the circular economy, is a leading voice in sustainable architecture. He has spent over 25 years pushing the boundaries of sustainable development and circular design. His journey from a passionate environmental activist to an influential architect and academic has been driven by a commitment to addressing the climate and ecological emergencies through innovative design practices.

Duncan will be part of an enticing panel of speakers, including Katherine Adams from Reusefully, Richard Farmer and Sioned Hughes from Gwynedd Council. This session will be hosted by Dr Diana Waldron, Head of Built Environment, Woodknowledge Wales and chaired by Seb Laan-Lomas, Associate and Passivhaus Designer, Architype. This will be one of the parallel sessions taking place on the second day of WoodBUILD 2024 in Swansea, at 11:30 on Wednesday 3 July.

“We are really excited to offer this opportunity for our conference delegates to engage with this amazing panel of speakers. We will be discussing important issues around circular economy, with a particular focus on what can we do to encourage and implement the reuse of materials in construction. This is still quite a niche area in the UK, a situation that is unacceptable in a country that has already declared a Climate Emergency. Why are we still struggling to assist our construction industry in their efforts to reuse perfectly good quality building materials? The fact is that we are still sending large quantities of construction waste to landfill unnecessarily, just because that’s the way the system works here in the UK. We need to join forces to change this and find suitable solutions. We hope this session will bring us a step closer to nudge our industry in the right direction.” Dr Diana Waldron, Head of Built Environment, Woodknowledge Wales.

Duncan recently announced his candidacy for RIBA President, aiming to bring circular economy principles to the forefront of the architectural industry. His practice, BakerBrown, focuses on research-led architectural and consultancy services designed to meet the challenges of a post-COVID world while addressing climate demands.

Circular Economy in Practice

Duncan’s work, both in practice and academia, has garnered numerous accolades, including RIBA National Awards and the Stephen Lawrence Prize for the Brighton Waste House. The prize money from the latter has funded a student prize for circular design at the University of Brighton, where Duncan teaches.

Image: Brighton Waste House.   Source: dezeen

The Brighton Waste House, a project made from waste materials, has evolved from a pedagogic tool to a serious research project. “We’ve installed old duvets as insulation and tiles made from discarded oyster shells,” Duncan explains. “Monitoring their performance has been insightful. The house has gained attention from media and has become a platform for funded research projects.”

Driving Change in the Industry

Duncan believes collaboration is key to integrating circular thinking in architecture. “It’s important to bring together financial modellers, urban miners, architects, and academics,” he says. “The people on the ground are really making a difference.”

His approach is not just theoretical. BakerBrown has been at the forefront of sustainable design since winning the RIBA ‘House of the Future’ competition. Their notable projects include the circular economy-influenced Greenwich Millennium Village and The House That Kevin Built, the UK’s first A* Energy Rated Building.

Image: The House That Kevin Built was designed and constructed – live on television
Source: BakerBrown

Innovative Materials and Techniques

One of the innovative techniques Duncan’s practice employs is harvest mapping. “We take a 5-10km radius around the site to find materials to use,” he explains. This method reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting materials and supports local economies.

BakerBrown is also involved in an EU-funded research project aimed at finding alternatives to cement, one of the most carbon-intensive materials in construction. “We’ve created beautiful tiles from oyster shells,” Duncan says. “They’re made from 90% calcium carbonate, the same as limestone.”

Future Projects and Visions

Looking ahead, Duncan is excited about a new project inspired by the Brighton Waste House. “The next project is a deconstruct/reconstruct initiative. We’ll dismantle a building slated for demolition and use its materials to construct a new building. It’s about showing that there’s no such thing as waste.”

This vision extends to advocating for reconfiguring existing buildings rather than demolishing them. “In London, buildings are constantly going up and down. We can present alternatives that don’t involve starting from scratch.”

Building a Sustainable Future

At BakerBrown, there’s a strong belief that good design and sustainability go hand in hand. “Our buildings are about material, light, and time,” Duncan says. “They function beautifully, age well, and work with the planet, not against it.”

By partnering with private clients, developers, and local authorities, BakerBrown has demonstrated that it’s possible to build sustainably without compromising on aesthetics. Their work champions the circular economy, using local materials and resources, and focusing on retrofitting and adapting rather than demolishing.

Communication and Education

Duncan is also a passionate communicator. From international symposiums to TEDx talks, Duncan’s influence extends across the globe, inspiring a new generation of architects to embrace circular economy principles. His mission is to spread the message that the built environment can play a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis. “If the built environment is responsible for nearly half the world’s carbon emissions, then it also holds the key to creating a better future,” he asserts.

By championing the circular economy, Duncan is paving the way for a more sustainable future in the construction industry. His journey, marked by groundbreaking projects and a commitment to education and collaboration, serves as an inspiration for architects and builders everywhere to rethink their approach and embrace sustainable design.

For those in the timber industry and beyond, Duncan’s message is clear: sustainable design is not just possible; it’s essential for our future.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Duncan speak and collaborate with him, Katherine Adams from Reusefully and ASBP, Richard Farmer and Sionned Hughes from Gwynedd Council, and both Dr Diana Waldron from Woodknowledge Wales and Seb Laan-Lomas from Architype.

Register for WoodBUILD 2024 now and choose ‘Circular economy and the Sustainable Schools’ Challenge’ during the 11:30 breakout session on Day 2, Wednesday 3 July.

Tasty takeaways from a day demystifying building standards 

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Lessons from the 1st joint CoP meeting bringing together
Architects & Designers and Social Housing Developers

Compilation image by The AECB

On 25 April 2024, more than 60 people attended our first joint Communities of Practice (CoP) meeting, which took place in at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) in Swansea, with more than 25 people joining online. Audience takeaways and presentations now available below.

The hybrid event brought together Social Housing Developers and Architects and Designers to learn about AECB CarbonLite and EPC A standards, form factor (a measure of how compact a building is), and how to identify common issues and quality in terms of achieving these building standards in practice. 

“Our very own Andrew Simmonds and Tim Martel went along to a brilliant Woodknowledge Wales event last week – they enjoyed an array of interesting presentations and discussions and came back buoyed and enthusiastic and we are very keen to explore areas of collaboration.” The AECB 

How to bake your construction cake

Just one of the tasty takeaways (pun intended) for participants was the analogy between building and baking. If you missed the event, please do enjoy the presentations and other audience takeaways listed below. 

PV, batteries and other tech can be the icing on the cake but first we must bake the cake in the form of good building fabric

Alun Watkins, Director, Kalm Consultancy Services

“The power and knowledge of having the two groups face to face in the room and being able to share real-life experience in an open and transparent setting – between those who are working with these standards and those that are aware but not applying them in their practice – made this event so strong.” Rachel Cook, Head of Networks and Communities of Practice (CoP) manager, Woodknowledge Wales 

AECB CarbonLite and EPC A standards demystified

Expert practitioners, Alun Watkins from Kalm Consultancy and Jaime Moya from Spring Design laid out the differences between AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) CarbonLite and EPC A (energy performance certificate) standards. The presenters demystified these using real-life project examples to illustrate how to quantify affordable warmth and decarbonisation. They talked about form factor, shading and orientation and how these factors map onto AECB CarbonLite standards in more detail. 

“Looking at form factor, which is still not a core concept for all architects to consider in their designs, and getting the technical breakdown of how this looks in real life by comparing two actual project examples, was really useful for both client side and designers.” Diana Waldron, Head of Built Environment and co-lead Architects & Designers CoP, Woodknowledge Wales. 

“Encompassing real-life examples of properties illustrating in a hands-on way what social housing providers should consider and why, when building new or retrofitting existing housing stock to EPC A and AECB CarbonLite standards. This event underlined the importance of having conversations early in the process with architects and designers and how to engage residents around the impact and functionality of their low-energy, high-performance homes.” David Hedges, Head of Housing and co-lead Social Housing Developers CoP, Woodknowledge Wales. 

Getting hands-on with CWIC’s PODs

Rob Thomas from Hiraeth Architects delivered an on-site presentation explaining the benefits and purpose of the UWTSD CWIC (Construction Wales Innovation Centre) PODs. These hands-on educational PODs are used to demonstrate methods for identifying the common factors and quality issues which present barriers to achieving the AECB CarbonLite  and EPC A building standards. Deliberately designed with faults, the PODs highlight site-relevant issues such as thermal bridging, incorrect instalment of insulation, and vapour barriers. They have been built to two different standards so comparisons can be made between building regulation specifications and higher, near-Passivhaus, standards.  

“Seeing what a big difference something that looks fairly insignificant is making in practice when measured – like a piece of insulation being a few centimetres out – was eye-opening for both architects and social housing developers.” Diana Waldron 

Audience feedback and takeaways 

  • Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021 (WDQR 2021) or social housing call for EPC A or equivalent standards. These include Passivhaus and AECB CarbonLite, but additional consultancy is required and often not engaged. In practice, this means that AECB CarbonLite may not always be applied in practice, leaving some projects fully focused on EPC A ratings. Participants found it interesting to learn more about AECB CarbonLite standards and their inclusion of quality assurance and certification.  
  • Some issues presented are being raised and addressed by some organisations, but many still aren’t. There is still work to be done!
Image: Caroline Summers, Melin Homes, social post

Participants also expressed an interest in learning more about: 

  • form factor (a measure of how compact a building is). 
  • the need to embed Planning Policy Wales (PPW) energy hierarchy for planning in practice – planning departments often still create barriers to the achievement of more sustainable outcomes. 
  • the potential to use CWIC’s Pods as learning tools to demonstrate the practical processes behind BPE (building performance evaluation) testing with architect’s offices or clients 

This event clearly responded to members’ needs for forging relationships on personal and professional levels. Rumour has it that a significant number of participants continued their conversations into the evening hours in a pub nearby.

Enjoy your own slice of the cake

If you want to delve deeper into any of these topics, let us know and we will organise follow-on workshops. Contact: rachel.cook@woodknowledgewales.co.uk

If you missed this event, get hands-on with CWIC’s PODs and catch the Building Standards focused workshop at WoodBUILD 2024: Navigating the jungle of competing building standards

Book your Early Bird ticket until 31 May 2024.

More tasty takeaways

Download presentations 

Building Performance PODS
by Rob Thomas, Hiraeth  ArchitectsDownload
Quantifying Affordable Warmth & Decarbonisation by Jaime Moya, Spring DesignsDownload
Importance of Form Factor by Alun Watkins,
Kalm Consultancy Services Download

Building to seven storeys with CLT

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The Cascade, City Road, Cardiff by Linc Cymru and Cardiff Council, with Langstone Construction Group. CLT supplied by Eurban.

In early 2024, workers began constructing a new seven storey building in Cardiff city centre designed as a cross laminated timber (CLT) structure. Named ‘The Cascade’, the CLT block on City Road will include 39 affordable apartments for social rent and two commercial units.

Registered social landlord Linc Cymru (Linc) is constructing the scheme in partnership with Cardiff Council. Funding support has been provided through the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme and Social Housing Grant Programme. 

The main contractor on site is Cardiff-based contractor, Langstone Construction Group 

Richard Hallett, development manager from Linc, shares the story so far.

 “Most buildings of this height would be either steel or concrete frame so we’re excited that CLT is one of the key innovative features,” said Richard. “Eurban, a CLT specialist company, are designing, manufacturing, and delivering the CLT frame to site.”

“The structural strength of the frame is derived from cross lamination during the manufacturing process and the use of structural timber offers a significant carbon reduction to alternative materials. Special attention has been paid to the fire strategy throughout the design process and Linc is engaging its own fire safety consultant to monitor compliance during construction,” he explained.

Greenery and plants will cascade down over the outside of the building helping an urban area become greener. And residents will enjoy the use of a green roof terrace.

“City Road is a high-profile location in Cardiff so this site will be viewed by 1000s of passers-by every day who will see it being built. It’s brilliant to start 2024 by getting work underway on these much-needed affordable homes in the city. They will be suitable for couples and single occupants,” said Richard. “Alongside building new homes we’re going to be able to provide apprenticeships on site and we have already started work with the community at a local allotment and young people at schools in the area to see how we can benefit the community further.”

Sustainable Construction Careers Fair

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6 March 2024, 11:30am – 14:30pm, Swansea Campus, IQ Building, IQ001-IQ002, Free to attend

To celebrate Women in Construction Week 3-9 March the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Construction Wales Innovation Centre, the School of Architecture, Construction and the Environment (SoACE) and Career Service invite you to join us at our Sustainable Construction and the Environment Careers Fair on 6 March.

As exhibitors at this event you will be able to meet students from the SoACE as well as construction students from further education who could possibly be your next generation of staff.

In order to make this event sustainable in another sense of the word exhibitors are asked to think about things they can offer students such as work placements, apprenticeships, job offers or any other activity that starts to build a relationship with prospective employees.

This event is free to attend and lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Trees, People and the Built Environment 5

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23 – 24 April 2024, Edgbaston Stadium, Edgbaston Road, Birmingham. In person & Online

An Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) partner conference chaired by Kevin McCloud MBE FICFor (Hon) and Gary Newman, CEO of Woodknowledge Wales.

Trees are increasingly put forward as part of the solution to the most urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Existing evidence-based research supports the role of trees for urban cooling, carbon sequestration and flood management, but also in the public realm, improving health and well-being.  

Working together for a resilient urban future

For 2024, this fifth Trees, People and the Built Environment (TPBE5) hybrid conference plans to examine two very different roles for trees – how they can improve the quality of place for both people and nature and how they can contribute to the net zero carbon ambition for buildings and the built environment.  

To deliver the change needed, it is crucial that all professions and decision makers are on the same page when it comes to integrating trees in the built environment. TPBE5 has been developed by leading professional institutes and groups from across these sectors, bringing together professionals working in the built and natural environment to strengthen future collaboration. 

This two-day hybrid conference aims to answer the critical questions being asked across these sectors, exploring how practice can benefit from evidence-based research and, how practice can call for the research that it needs for evidence-based decision making. 

Woodknowledge Wales welcomes its first Local Authority member

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Cardiff Council takes a seat at the forefront of Net Zero carbon housing delivery

Cardiff Council has joined Woodknowledge Wales as part of its drive to decarbonise its homes. We are very pleased to welcome our first Local Authority (LA) member, Cardiff Council, to Woodknowledge Wales.

“It’s great to have Cardiff Council join us. As an organisation committed to collaboration, we need to drive positive change in our natural and built environments to support rapid decarbonisation. Many Councils want to drive down the carbon they emit in their social housing development and retrofit projects, and we can help them through our network of members, partners and collaborators,” said Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales

Cardiff Council is delivering an exciting and ambitious housing development programme which will provide more than 4,000 new homes of the highest quality in a wide range of locations across the city. At least 2,800 of these will be new council homes and 1,200 homes for sale.

Collaboration in housing development

It was Teresa Barnes, Cardiff Council’s Operational Manager that realised it would benefit Cardiff Council to collaborate with the experts at Woodknowledge Wales.

“I started working with Woodknowledge Wales as part of my role as Development Manager at United Welsh Housing Association in September 2021,” said Barnes. “WkW was supporting United Welsh on the Ty Du project where they were trying to standardise a Timber Frame design that considered embodied carbon as well as operational carbon measures.  United Welsh are members of the social housing developers communities of practice (CoP) and I worked closely with David Hedges and Dr Diana Waldron on this project and wider work to look at Building Performance Evaluation. I also attended most of the online WoodBUILD series in 2022 and attended WoodBUILD 2023 in Lampeter.”

Teresa is now responsible for projects such as the Channel View Estate regeneration programme on behalf of Cardiff Council.

Regeneration programmes and new-build delivery routes

The Channel View Estate regeneration programme is the council’s largest and most holistic estate redevelopment proposal so far in housing development. The project will replace 180 existing properties on Channel View Road. These include a 13-storey tower block, with around 400 new mixed tenure homes for the existing community.

The programme will deliver new homes of different sizes and design, but all built to meet key quality requirements, regardless of tenure, and will meet a wide range of identified housing needs. The project will be delivered across various phases and will be part of a number of new-build delivery routes that have been implemented. These include the Cardiff Living Programme, the development of the former Gasworks site in Grangetown, the Channel View regeneration scheme, an additional build programme, the purchase of property from the market and developer-led package deals, as well as meanwhile use modular units for temporary accommodation.

Low carbon homes at scale and pace

“A key aspiration is to build new low carbon homes at scale and pace that directly complements the Welsh Government’s house building and enhanced quality targets,” explains Teresa. “This includes exploring low embodied carbon whole life principles and using and supporting local supply chains and manufacturers. We are currently designing our first certified net-zero carbon housing project on our St Teilo’s site.”

“Working with WkW allows us at Cardiff Council to ensure we are engaged in all the latest discussions and policy about Welsh supply chains for Timber frame and MMC, as well as the wider decarb agenda. We have a considerable pipeline which could support these local supply chains,” said Teresa.

“WKW is at the forefront of discussions about how to deliver lower embodied carbon schemes, which is the next step for us. We are looking to pilot a scheme using the (Low Energy Transformation Initiative) LETI standards on St Teilo’s, and WkW are supporting the architects, Pentan, on this project,” continued Teresa. “WkW is also able to support better use of Building Performance Evaluation and data analysis which the Council are keen to explore. The sharing of best practice and lessons learnt has always been a useful part of being a member of WkW and Cardiff Council would like to be involved in this. The network of WkW members will allow the Council to make better links across the Welsh supply chain, as well as keeping up to date on new policy and innovation.”

Woodknowledge Wales member base continues to expand

Our mission is to drive the purposeful development of Wales’s Forest industries from tree to product to benefit the economy, the environment, and the people of Wales. We believe that all organisations linked to the timber supply chain should have a voice in policy development and change. Woodknowledge Wales is, therefore, focused on broadening its member base throughout 2024 and beyond.

“Cardiff Council has decided to join a growing and trusted group of like-minded organisations. The only way we are going to reduce construction’s share of our collective carbon emissions is by making positive decisions to improve what and how we build and how we improve our homes, reducing the energy used and carbon emitted in both making and using them. Cardiff Council is one of Wales’ biggest social housing developers and will be taking a lead in creating the learning which will feed into our growing knowledge and experience as well as influence the development and implementation of policy,” said David Hedges, Head of Housing, Woodknowledge Wales.

If you wish to work with us and support this cause, please contact: david.hedges@woodknowledgewales.co.uk

New pods to bring built environment learners good fabric performance skills

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University of Wales Trinity St David’s Construction Wales Innovation Centre welcomed delivery of two new building performance test pods designed specifically to provide hands-on learning around fabric-first building performance

On 14 December 2023, Julie Evans, Project Manager, Passivhaus Training forCarmarthenshire, announced the arrival of the new building performance test pods for the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) Welsh Timber and Building Performance Development Centre in Lampeter. The pods will be used in the delivery of the Not Business as Usual, Construct Net-Zero Cymru (CNZC) project to train industry, construction students in Further and Higher Education, and other community learners.

“The building performance test pods were built specifically to provide a hands-on experience. They will help built environment students and other learners to better understand what constitutes good fabric performance which is a critically important new skill needed to create low carbon buildings.” said Gary Newman, CEO, Woodknowledge Wales

Designed and constructed in collaboration with Woodknowledge Wales, Rob Thomas, Hiraeth Architecture and Kenton Jones (Designers and Makers), the building performance pods blend teaching, research, and innovation with carefull design and construction to deliver state-of-the-art, practical learning tools.

The pods were built by technical experts to reflect Passivhaus principles and the Welsh Building Regulations. Both pods will enable students to try their hand at Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) techniques such as air tightness, U-Value measurement, thermal performance and heat loss.

A key element in the Not Business as Usual, Construct Net-Zero Cymru (CNZC) project, each pod illustrates closed panel timber frame construction and will also be a useful tool to educate a wide range of audiences in terms of low-carbon, high performance construction using timber as a sustainable building material.

The Not Business As Usual CNZC project will focus on educating learners on the importance of building fabric. It will work to improve principles and techniques applied in the design, construction, and maintenance of a variety of low-carbon construction methods.

“CWIC and its partners are working alongside partners in industry, higher and further education, schools and the third sector to create and deliver micro courses in ‘Fabric First‘ design. Sessions will be held in the UWTSD’s construction workshop using a range of tailor-made equipment and training aids to enhance these skills,” said Julie Evans, Project Manager, Passivhaus Training for Carmarthenshire, Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC)

Read CWIC’s press release: Arrival of new building performance test pods enhances practical learning

Read more about the Not Business as Usual, Construct Net-Zero Cymru (CNZC) project

Free Technical Timber Webinars 2024 from BM TRADA

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BM TRADA has announced its 2024 Timber Webinar programme,  with updated content and deep dives into strength grading, modified woods and CLT. Register now to enhance your skills and knowledge, and gain valuable insights from timber experts.

Timber Frame series

  • Right on site: Key timber frame details with Robin Lancashire, Senior Timber Frame Consultant, BM TRADA, 25 January 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM GMT Registration link
  • Moisture management in timber frame design and construction with Robin Lancashire, Senior Timber Frame Consultant, BM TRADA, 8 February 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM GMT Registration link

This series will be repeated in the latter half of the year.

Technical Timber series

  • Strength grading with Nick Clifford, Senior Technical Consultant, BM TRADA and Dr Dan Ridley-Ellis, Edinburgh Napier University, 18 April 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM BST Registration link
  • Modified woods and panel products with Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, and Adam Moring, Timber Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 2 May 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM BST Registration link
  • Understanding wood degrading insects and microorganisms with Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 16 May 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM BST Registration link
  • Timber adhesives with Richard Nunn, Sales Director, Ureka, 6 June 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM BST. Registration link


CLT series

  • Achieving durability with CLT: Mitigating Construction Phase moisture with Nick Clifford, Senior Timber Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 4 July 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM GMT Registration link
  • Achieving durability with CLT: Designing for durability with Nick Clifford, Senior Timber Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 18 July 2024 · 11:00AM – 12:00PM GMT Registration link


Fundamentals of Timber series

  • From trees to timber with Ben Sharples, Technical Manager, Timber Services, and Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 7 November 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM GMT Registration link
  • Quality and properties of timber with Nick Clifford, Senior Technical Consultant, and Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, Part One: Wood and timber properties and Part 2: Quality of timber, 14 November 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM GMT Registration link
  • Moisture in timber with Adam Moring, Timber Technical Consultant, with Nick Clifford, Senior Technical Consultant, 28 November 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM GMT Registration link
  • Protecting timber with Adam Moring, Timber Technical Consultant, and Dr Andy Pitman, Principal Technical Consultant, BM TRADA, 5 December 2024 · 11:00AM – 1:00PM GMT Registration link

For further publications on timber, industry information, and regular updates on training opportunities from BM TRADA, please register with the bookshop and subscribe to the enewsletter.

Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group: evidence submission

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Woodknowledge Wales has submitted evidence on how could Wales heat and build homes and workplaces by 2035

“Woodknowledge Wales was honoured to be invited to participate and submit a response to the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge,” said Diana Waldron, Head of Built Environment.

“As a charitable Community Benefits Society organisation, our vision is the transformation of Wales into a high-value forest nation. We place a zero carbon and socially just Wales at the centre of our proposal. We strongly believe well-managed natural resources are key to achieving sustainable development and offer a number of attractive opportunities for financial growth at a national level,” Waldron continued.

We champion retrofit first, biogenic first and fabric first approaches

Inspired by regenerative thinking, we collaborate with our growing membership network to build trust and accelerate learning to proactively drive systemic change across construction, timber manufacturing, forest industries and land-use. 

In our Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group submission, we propose to focus national growth strategies on the following key areas: 

  • Building performance targets and evaluation;
  • Embodied carbon assessment;
  • Creation of a well-governed, standardised, free access UK embodied carbon product database (i.e. EPDs);
  • Land use change;
  • Further bold interventions to support higher national economic development focused on decarbonisation strategies;
  • More skills development and recruitment.

By championing retrofit first, biogenic first and fabric first approaches and focusing on the key areas above, we aim to provide healthier homes for everyone as a socially just nation and ensure all buildings in Wales are on a pathway to achieving higher quality standards. This improvement must, however, take into consideration the negative environmental impact of the construction sector. By holding ourselves accountable for these impacts and their contribution to the climate emergency, we can truly begin to make better decisions to reduce and ultimately eliminate them .

We propose the development of a system which encourages the creation and use of more Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) across the board.

“The carbon we emit now has much greater impact than carbon emitted in the future”, explains Waldron. ” We cannot just focus on improving operational carbon. Embodied carbon is equally (or even more) relevant.”

The proposed pathway outlined in the Woodknowledge Wales evidence submission also supports biogenic carbon storage in the built environment as a Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) solution. We also recommend incentives to encourage changes land use to create more productive forests in Wales, for the benefit of the national economy and ultimately the Welsh people. 

“The overarching goal of the proposal is to achieve a more independent Wales. By reducing dependency on imports of biogenic materials and skills, our country has the potential to fulfil its own economic needs. We just need to create the right system to further encourage these processes,” summarises Waldron.

Read or download the full Woodknowledge Wales, Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group: evidence submission

Making Wood Work for Wales

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

REGISTER NOW

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.

REGISTER NOW