Housing crisis fix should involve wood – the ‘ultimate renewable’
Sponsored by Forest and Wood Products Australia
By Joanne Brookfield
Two key issues seem to be dominating the headlines; not only is Australia in the midst of a severe housing shortfall, but the crisis is also taking place against a backdrop of climate-change catastrophe.
Responsibly sourced, certified timber from well-managed forests can be used in all sorts of construction, allowing carbon to be locked away.
So, when we’re building these desperately needed new homes, renovating existing ones or even furnishing our current ones, we want to do so in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way so that we can all play our part in meeting the global goal of net zero by 2050.
United Nations-backed climate science data shows that to avert the worst impacts of climate change we must ensure the global temperature does not increase by more than 1.5 degrees. The UN admits that “transitioning to a net-zero world is one of the greatest challenges humankind has faced”.
Achieving this target means slashing the current rate of carbon emissions, while finding new ways to absorb and store remaining greenhouse gases. The maths is daunting: we need to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 to give ourselves any chance of meeting net zero by 2050.
“It calls for nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, consume and move about,” the UN states plainly on its website.
Housing and climate challenges intersect
Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has identified several steps for decarbonising, including embracing circular economy principles, finding ways to expand zero-emission technology options and scaling up nature-based carbon sequestration.
Turns out, trees have been doing this since the beginning of time. Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) head of marketing Sarah Downey notes — with a nod to the group’s campaign The Ultimate Renewable — that when done sustainably, forestry is circular.
“Responsibly sourced, certified timber comes from well-managed forests,” she says. “This means trees are regrown, biodiversity is protected and carbon stays locked away.”
This is good news for Australia’s construction industry, which annually contributes $156 billion to the economy and is under pressure to build houses faster to meet demand.
FWPA is a not-for-profit industry services company — sometimes referred to as an RDC (rural research and development corporation) — funded by the Federal Government, member levies and research grants.
Working with wood
Builder and TV personality Adam Dovile is backing The Ultimate Renewable campaign of Forest and Wood Products Australia.
FWPA commissioned More Houses Sooner, a landmark report that revealed almost 2.5 million new dwellings are needed by 2034 to achieve affordability. This equates to around 225,400 new dwellings per year to keep pace with Australia’s growing population (forecast to reach 31 million) and address historic unmet demand.
One of the fastest ways to rectify the current imbalance of supply and demand, says FWPA’s head of Built Environment Programs, Kevin Peachey, is to increase prefabricated timber use in both stand-alone housing and multi-residential construction.
“There are opportunities and challenges for the industry,” Peachey says. “Leveraging prefabrication systems and factory-based manufacturing offers reduced costs and construction times compared to conventional methods.
“Systemic change is required. Australia will benefit from more efficient use of timber in the built environment, as this will help meet one of society’s most important and pressing needs of building more houses sooner.”
Being lightweight, but also strong and easy to work with, timber enables faster construction times. When components are prefabricated — such as walls, floors, frames and roof trusses — builders can work with even greater speed and precision, reducing site delays and labour costs, adding to the economic benefits of using wood products.
Timber also uses less energy than other building materials. Steel, for instance, relies on coal as part of an energy-intensive manufacturing process that contributes up to 9 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions internationally.
By contrast, timber can be produced with a much lower reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in a much smaller carbon footprint. Versatile and renewable, trees can also be regrown and replanted for continuous supply.
Housing products a natural carbon sink
Best of all is the way trees naturally sequester and store carbon as they begin to grow, which means the wood products they later become also continue to store that carbon — it doesn’t suddenly escape into the atmosphere once it becomes a table, for example.
“Timber house frames, furniture and flooring all hold that carbon for decades, so choosing timber over more carbon-intensive materials is one of the fastest ways to reduce emissions,” notes Downey. “It makes sense to include more timber when building as it’s an easy gain in terms of carbon storage.”
The natural insulation properties of timber can help reduce energy bills for heating and cooling, too, which not only saves dollars but also further reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
So, how do we know the timber products are certified sustainable? “If it’s stamped FSC or PEFC, you know it’s passed strict checks for forest regeneration, wildlife protection and ethical supply chains,” explains Downey.
Adds Peachey: “Supporting renewable wood means supporting an Australian supply chain that values stewardship, land regeneration and innovation in low-emissions construction. More Australians can realise the dream of owning a home if builders utilise more wood.”