Federal Labor’s Climate Change Action Plan has highlighted the enormous potential of Australian timber to help meet national emissions reduction targets set out by all Parties.
“The ALP plan includes $40 million for the development of new Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) methodologies. A methodology for timber construction should be at the top of any queue,” Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Mr Ross Hampton said.
“Timber has always been a great building material, but advances in technology, including the development of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and other timber building solutions accompanied by building code updates have opened many more doors for renewable timber to be used more widely in construction.”
The building construction code now allows fire protected timber buildings up to 25 metres.
Mr Hampton said, “Timber is acknowledged as far more environmentally friendly than steel and concrete alternatives and yet there is no methodology allowing timber construction to bid for carbon credits through the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). Converting one cubic metre of concrete or brick, for a cubic metre of wood, eliminates approximately one tonne of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere.”
AFPA has calculated that even a very modest increase in timber construction would sequester 11 million tonnes* of additional greenhouse gases over the coming decade.
- *Planet Ark
- ** 18by2030
