Building Regs should maximise timber use, says TTF

The use of sustainable timber within the Building Regulations should be maximised, according to the Timber Trade Federation (TTF).

Responding to a consultation exercise being carried out by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), the TTF said the renewability of timber should make it the number one environmental building material of choice. Its thermal efficiency makes it an excellent insulator and it absorbs and reduces CO₂ emissions.

TTF head of public affairs Mark O’Brien said: “The consultation asks what percentage of sustainable timber should be used in buildings but many studies show that timber’s environmental credentials are so good that as much sustainable timber as possible should be used in future construction and not just a random percentage.”

Meanwhile the TTF has welcomed a report which calls for expansion of UK forest cover and increased use of timber in construction to achieve a substantial reduction in the UK’s CO₂ emissions.

The report – “The UK’s Forest: a neglected source for the low carbon economy” – has been published by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management.

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