WoodBUILD 2025, Wednesday 4 June, 11:00 breakout session
Register now and sign up to participate in this workshop
How can we move beyond offsetting and begin to account for the intrinsic ecosystem service benefits of producing and using wood products—recognising their role in a regenerative bioeconomy?
This question sits at the heart of an upcoming session designed to challenge conventional thinking and open up discussion around new sustainability metrics. Moving past the limits of carbon-centric offsetting, the session will explore emerging tools and frameworks for integrating ecosystem services and biodiversity into sustainability assessments—focusing not just on conservation areas, but on productive forestry and timber value chains, to demonstrate the benefits of using wood.
“If we want to grow more forests and grow more value from them, we need to listen to those working across the supply chain and act on what we hear.” Tom Henderson, Timber and Forestry, Woodknowledge Wales
The session will be hosted by Tom Henderson and include insights from:
- The FSC, on their Verified Impacts to Ecosystem Services certification
- Bangor University and Woodknowledge Wales, exploring how ecosystem services can be incorporated into Life Cycle Assessment
- Academic researchers, examining the evolution of metrics for biodiversity net gain
- Industry leaders, investigating the biodiversity impacts of different construction materials
Together, these perspectives will help shape a conversation about extending land-based conservation metrics to material systems and construction products—raising questions about whether current tools are fit for purpose, and how they might evolve to better reflect strong sustainability principles.
Attendees can expect a dynamic and inclusive session with short presentations and a panel discussion that encourages dialogue across policy, research, and practice.
Why this matters
Sustainable forestry is essential to Wales’ net zero ambitions, rural economy, and biodiversity goals—but the sector faces mounting challenges, from an ageing workforce and limited planting to complex regulation and fragmented markets. These roundtable workshops matter because they bring together key voices from across the forestry and timber value chain to openly discuss barriers, share lived experience, and shape practical, joined-up solutions. By addressing both woodland creation and management, the sessions aim to unlock the full potential of forests as a national asset—supporting climate resilience, green jobs, and a thriving home-grown supply chain for generations to come.
