The UK’s heavy reliance on imported timber risks undermining its own net-zero strategy and, in the process, will increase global emissions. That is according to a new study published in Nature Communications, highlighting the urgent need for the world’s second-largest importer to expand its forest canopy to meet growing demand.
“Our study highlights three major challenges for UK forestry,” according to Bangor University Professor John Healey, senior author of Temperate Forests Can Deliver Future Wood Demand and Climate-Change Mitigation Dependent on Afforestation and Circularity, published last Friday.
“The first is expanding productive forests. Conifer forest expansion has stalled for 30 years, and the harvestable wood supply is set to decline after 2039. Reversing this will require rethinking land use priorities. The second is improving forest management: Higher productivity must be sustained despite rising pests, disease, and drought threats. The third is maximising wood use efficiency: Processing wood with minimal waste, reusing it, and adopting circular economy principles will be critical.”
It comes weeks after the Starmer government doubled down on the UK’s commitment to scale up timber used in construction and also grow its forest cover (just 13%—the lowest of any country in Europe), which the Starmer government said “is (one of) the best ways to reduce emissions in buildings” and meet Net Zero targets.
And with just 20% of demand met by homegrown timber, the UK faces risks from fluctuating global prices and long-term “wood security”: “Major policy reform is needed to meet these challenges, Healey said. “To ensure the use of wood in place of other materials remains a sustainable net-zero solution, the UK must limit the increase in its dependence on wood imports to avoid shifting carbon emissions and biodiversity loss overseas.”
This means land use strategies must be reformed to allow the required expansion and productivity increase: “Growing more of its own wood is essential—not just for the UK’s net zero targets but also for the global fight against climate change.”
Northern boreal forests could become a problem
Healey’s study found that relying on intensively harvested northern boreal forests—which store large amounts of carbon—could reduce the climate benefits of using wood in construction. “Increased logging in forests could release more carbon than is saved using wood instead of other materials,” the research said.
Working with Woodknowledge Wales, an independent, for-public-good Community Benefit Society that advances sustainable forestry, timber, and regenerative construction practices, the researchers developed an advanced framework for forward-looking life cycle assessment to assess the long-term climate impact of different forestry strategies and are calling for a new approach to sustainable domestic wood production.
“Woodknowledge Wales is delighted to be associated with this important paper. It makes a strong call to action for a long-term planting strategy, enhanced forest productivity and efficient wood use,” said Gary Newman, the CEO of Woodknowledge Wales.
Rising wood demand
According to Healey, who worked with Eilidh J. Forster and David Styles—both also from Bangor University—to meet even a modest increase in year-on-year demand for wood (1.1% per year), the level of productive forests must be expanded by 50% over the next 50 years. A more ambitious approach—doubling productive forest area and making management changes to boost tree growth rates by 33%—would deliver 175% greater climate benefits. However, if the increase in wood demand is greater (2.3% per year), only doubling the forest area and boosting tree growth rates by 33% would ensure long-term climate benefits.
- To learn more about the United Kingdom’s forest roadmap, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
