UK can't reach its net-zero goals by relying on imported timber.

According to a new study, the United Kingdom cannot achieve its net-zero goals solely by importing wood. Furthermore, the United Kingdom ranks as the world’s second-largest importer of timber products, while only 13% of its land area is covered by forest.

A recent study in Nature Communications found that the UK’s significant dependence on imported timber jeopardises its net-zero goals and may raise global emissions.

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This underscores the urgent need for the second-largest global importer to increase its forest canopy to accommodate rising demand.

Bangor University’s Professor John Healey, the senior author of the study titled “Temperate Forests Can Deliver Future Wood Demand and Climate-Change Mitigation Dependent on Afforestation and Circularity,” published last Friday, stated, “Our study highlights three major challenges for UK forestry.”

“The first challenge is the expansion of productive forests. For 30 years, the growth of conifer forests has stagnated, and by 2039, the supply of harvestable wood is expected to decline. To reverse this trend, we need to rethink land use priorities. The second challenge involves improving forest management. We must maintain higher productivity in the face of increasing threats from pests, diseases, and droughts. The third challenge emphasizes maximizing wood use efficiency. Minimizing waste in wood processing, reusing materials, and implementing circular economy principles will be crucial.”

This study follows the Starmer administration’s recent reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to increasing timber usage in construction and expanding its forest cover, currently at just 13%—the lowest in Europe. The government asserted that enhancing forest cover is “one of the best ways to reduce emissions in buildings” and achieve Net Zero targets.

With only 20% of the demand satisfied by domestically sourced timber, the UK is vulnerable to fluctuating global prices and long-term wood security issues. Healey emphasized, “Significant policy reforms are essential to tackle these challenges. To ensure wood remains a sustainable net-zero solution in place of other materials, the UK must curtail its increasing reliance on wood imports to prevent transferring carbon emissions and biodiversity loss abroad.”

This necessitates reforms in land use strategies to foster the required expansion and productivity increases. Healey pointed out, “Producing more domestic wood is crucial—not just for meeting the UK’s net zero targets but also in the global effort to combat climate change.”

Potential challenges from northern boreal forests

Healey’s research indicated that over-reliance on intensively harvested northern boreal forests, which store considerable carbon, might diminish the climate advantages of using wood for construction. The study warned, “Increased logging in these forests could release more carbon than the benefits gained from using wood over alternative materials.”

The researchers collaborated with Woodknowledge Wales, a Community Benefit Society dedicated to promoting sustainable forestry, timber usage, and regenerative construction practices. Together, they formulated an advanced framework for forward-looking life cycle assessments to gauge the long-term climate impacts of various forestry strategies, advocating for a novel approach to sustainable domestic wood production.

Gary Newman, CEO of Woodknowledge Wales, expressed, “We are pleased to be associated with this significant paper. It strongly calls for a long-term planting strategy, improved forest productivity, and efficient wood utilization.”

Increasing demand for wood

Healey, along with Eilidh J. Forster and David Styles from Bangor University, noted that to accommodate even a modest annual increase of 1.1% in wood demand, the area of productive forests must expand by 50% over the next half-century. A more ambitious strategy—doubling the area of productive forests and increasing growth rates by 33%—would yield 175% more climate benefits. However, if the annual demand increase is greater, at 2.3%, merely doubling the forest area and enhancing tree growth rates by 33% would be necessary to ensure long-term climate advantages.