STA ROUNDTABLE
PLOTTING THE ROUTE TO NET ZERO CARBON
The Structural Timber Association (STA) recently hosted a roundtable discussion, gathering industry experts together to examine the many challenges ahead of reducing the UK’s carbon emissions and creating a safer built environment. need to be considered. Every aspect of materials used in the built environment ought to be counted and zeroed in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. And we have got a way to go on that front.” Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the STA, gave the example of the French government demanding that within a very short timeframe all new public buildings will have to have a minimum of 50% timber with embodied carbon a key factor. “Obviously, we would suggest that the UK government might want to think along similar lines. Some major contractors are already working with embodied carbon calculators, there is also a disparity between what the industry was proactively trying to achieve and what government had set out.” Delivering quality has always been ‘up front and centre’ for the construction industry. The emphasis is on producing buildings that are well built, using appropriate materials and which are fit-for-purpose. The requirement to reduce net carbon emissions to zero within 30 years is also having a huge impact on the construction sector with the pressure to innovate in better products, better techniques and, ultimately a better society. It was these central themes under consideration during the roundtable discussion event hosted by the STA. Chaired by Thomas Lane, Building Magazine’s Group Technical Editor, the discussion kicked off around the subject of carbon emissions and what people thought of as net zero and what the challenges are in delivering it?
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The Road to Zero Carbon Kevin Riley, STA Board member and Sales Director, LVL, Stora Enso, argued that there ought to be some sort of clear definition on offer. “There are so many numbers being bandied around on how we get to this concept but until people understand what it actually means in practice, and have evidence of how it will actually work, it's a tough call.” SustainableBYdesign's Lynne Sullivan, pointed out that talking about net zero encompassed a range of activities and defining the emissions is a massive challenge. “Apart from sorting the offshoring of emissions we need to decarbonise all our processes. That is a lot of renewable energy to get in place that all our factories would require. So, material extraction, material processing, product manufacture, and then the end-of-life side of things
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Kevin Riley highlighted what he called a ‘disconnect’ between the government’s green ambitions and the ability to deliver on the UK’s housing demand, with the limitations it was imposing on developers being able to use timber in new buildings. “If you are restricted from using timber in certain applications, then you are in danger of diverting from a very easy way to deliver on both the carbon agenda and housing crisis. If they put restrictions in place, those agenda targets are undeliverable.” Has the client side upped the ante in terms of demanding better and more environmentally friendly materials and are clients seeking net zero commitment from the sector? Christiane Lellig, formerly of Wood for