AN INTERNATIONAL wood manifesto making the case for much greater use of wood in both construction and renovation has been launched ahead of COP26.

Edinburgh-based forestry and wood trade body Confor was involved in creating the manifesto, 'Time for Timber', in collaboration with the European wood industries and colleagues in North America and Australasia. The document recommends 'rapidly' scaling up the global forestry and timber industries, and sets out how to make greater use of wood to transform the built environment, as achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 will require construction to decarbonise rapidly, while meeting the increasing demand for new buildings, and the requirement to renovate existing buildings.

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Deputy Chief Executive of Confor, Andy Leitch, said: “Confor has stressed the vital role that trees and wood can play in mitigating climate change over many years. Trees soak up, or sequester, carbon as they grow, wood products store carbon – and using more wood can substitute carbon-heavy materials like concrete and steel.

“This manifesto sends a vital message to world leaders about the need to put trees and wood front and centre of their climate change thinking through to the net zero target date of 2050 – 2045 in Scotland – and beyond.”

Paul Brannen, director of public affairs for the European Confederation of the Woodworking Industries, which represents 21 European and national organisations from 15 countries, added: “The primary purpose of the Time for Timber manifesto is to convey to those attending the COP26 in Glasgow that wood is the key material that can decarbonise the built environment both quickly and at scale."

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