The construction sector is a major contributor of carbon emissions. Pressure to respond to the climate emergency means that decarbonisation is a priority for everyone who has a stake in construction. But where to start? By James Moxey, Woodknowledge Wales, 6 May 2020 Organisations considering a decarbonisation strategy that aims for low carbon or even […]
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On the path towards a high-value forest nation. Forestry, biodiversity and land use.
Probably the most intensely debated questions at our 2019 BIG Debate during WoodBUILD circled around forestry and land use, and how to move the agenda for a high value forest nation forward in the current system. As part of our series of follow-up interviews on the Big Debate, we invited Jon Travis, Welsh Government; Dominic […]
A very brief history of deforestation and forest management
Deforestation and the need for sustainable forest management techniques take their roots in earliest human development. Dainis Dauksta presents a brief history from axe and lightning to high-tech solutions bred in Silicon Valley. Observation of natural traumatic events such as lightning strikes causing forest fires taught early hominids[1] to use fire as their principal landscape […]
Creating value for communities through woodland expansion
At the start of 2020, most commentators held up climate change as the biggest threat to humanity, a title now sadly usurped by the coronavirus pandemic. Before this very imminent health threat stole the headlines, an unlikely coalition, from the UK Climate Change Commission (UKCCC) right to the US leading climate change denier and peddler […]
HGHP Update for March
As a government funded research project, we need to be accountable for the progress we’re making across the different work packages. The second review of the Project took place earlier this month and we are awaiting feedback and recommendations from the independent review team on how best to achieve results for the remainder of the […]
Research project sparks interest in woodland creation among social housing providers
We are currently in the process of finalising the outcomes of research exploring how housing associations might intervene in the forestry and timber supply chain to stimulate afforestation and the home-grown supply of construction timber. This research, part funded by Natural Resources Wales, Woodknowledge Wales and a group of Welsh housing organisations, identified a real […]
NRW become member of Woodknowledge Wales
NRW have become the latest organisation to join Woodknowledge Wales growing alliance. Our membership now consists of over 40 organisations from all sectors of the timber supply chain from housing clients at the demand end, down through the complete supply chain to land-use and forest management organisations. NRW have a substantial influence on the Welsh […]
Clwyd Alyn housing project surpasses RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge target
A timber based Clwyd Alyn social housing project in Llanbedr near Ruthin constructed by Williams Homes surpasses the embodied carbon target set down by RIBA in their 2030 Climate Challenge campaign. An embodied carbon analysis undertaken by Eilidh Forster of Woodknowledge Wales to a measurement methodology agreed by RIBA and RICS returned a value of […]
Reducing supply chain cost in the timber trade
Reducing supply costs in any industry is important and the forestry sector is no exception. Forestry and timber production in the UK has suffered from a lack of policy support, investment and innovation for many years. Hopefully that is starting to change as governments realise that trees and timber products are part of the solution […]
GHA 2019 Conference: Delivering Net Zero and Future Homes
The UK Government has recently stated its ambition that all new homes should meet a Future Homes standard, aiming to halve the energy use of all new buildings by 2030, compared to the current Building Regulations requirements, which is a significant step towards meeting a net zero target. The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) believe that […]
