The gap between the global supply and demand for timber- a problem for the UK

Posted on November 7, 2022   |  

• If the timber demand continues to grow, the UK would need to use 78% more timber by 2050 which is largely fuelled by the need to use more wood in construction, to decarbonize the UK's construction industry and contribute to meeting net-zero targets.
• However, the supply of wood is expected to drop, and the UK has planted almost no large forests aimed at wood production for the last 30 years.
• The Woodland Trust called for a "right tree in the right place" approach, accepting that a whole variety of woodland types were needed, including productive planting.
• However, the most important approach was to look at "evidence-based planting", where woods and forests were created to provide specific policy purposes and outcomes, whether that is to produce wood, protect biodiversity, or a variety of other reasons.