Timber in Construction Roadmap 2025

The Timber in Construction Roadmap 2025 sets out actions to increase the use of timber in UK construction, supporting the transition to lower carbon buildings. The roadmap focuses on seven priority themes, including:  

• Priority theme 1: improving data on timber and whole life carbon

• Priority theme 2: promoting the safe, sustainable use of timber as a construction material

• Priority theme 3: increasing skills, capacity and competency across the supply chain

• Priority theme 4: increasing the sustainable supply of timber

• Priority theme 5: addressing fire safety and durability concerns to safely expand the use of engineered mass timber

• Priority theme 6: increasing collaboration with insurers, lenders and warranty providers

• Priority theme 7: promoting innovation and high performing timber construction systems

These priority areas highlight opportunities to strengthen the timber supply chain, develop skills, encourage innovation and increase confidence in timber as a construction material.

The National Wood Strategy

The National Wood Strategy sets out a vision for making better use of the UK’s wood resources, from forestry and timber production to manufacturing and construction. It highlights the role of homegrown timber in supporting a resilient domestic supply chain, reducing reliance on imports and contributing to the UK’s net zero ambitions.

Climate Change Plan

The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan includes ambitious targets for creating new woodlands, aiming to increase forest and woodland cover from around 18% to 21% of the total area of Scotland by 2032.

There are a wide range of options for woodland creation and woodland management. Under the right circumstances, all woodland types and options can help reduce climate change impacts.

Broadleaf trees, which are slower growing, can collect high carbon reserves within woodlands over the long term, whereas faster growing conifers can:

• Sequester more quickly in the medium to long term

• Produce wood products that substitute for high greenhouse gas-emitting materials and fossil fuels in the longer term.

This in turn supports Scotland’s economy, green recovery and job creation, as well as ensuring we reduce our reliance on timber from international markets.

Industrial Timber Strategy

The Welsh Government’s Timber Industrial Strategy sets out how Wales can grow its forestry and timber industries to support decarbonisation, sustainable housing and green jobs.

The strategy focuses on developing a resilient, sustainable timber supply chain, increasing the use of timber in construction and making better use of available wood resources.

The strategy is structured under the following six priorities:  

1. Increasing timber supply

2. Increasing resilience in our forests

3. Resource efficiency and circular economy

4. Instilling confidence in demand

5. Developing sector capacity

6. Underpinned by behaviour change

Growing the forestry and timber sectors in Wales will offer a wide range of green jobs, help us build more sustainable housing and boost progress towards decarbonisation.

The Northern Ireland Tree Planting Action Plan: A Plan for Woodland Creation 2026 - 2032

The Action Plan consists of 10 strategic actions, supported by 31 implementing actions, which aim to improve governance and the implementation of tree planting measures, alongside increasing communication, knowledge transfer, education and capacity building, combined with a focus on building on our research and evidence base. 

The action plan has been co-designed with a wide range of stakeholders including Woodland Trust, representatives of Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), forestry companies, eNGOs, Ulster Farmers’ Union, NI Water, and local councils.