“THE CONVERSATION around sustainable construction is continuing to get louder — and rightly so. At BSW Group, we believe that the relaunch of the UK Government’s Timber in Construction (TiC) Roadmap is not just timely, it’s essential. We have a clear opportunity to reshape our built environment using British timber as a cornerstone of low-carbon construction.
“For years, our focus has been on securing the timber supply chain. Now, with global timber pricing and supply increasingly volatile, the logic for using homegrown timber is stronger than ever. Prioritising British wood isn’t just an environmental choice — it’s an economic and strategic decision.
“The TiC Roadmap provides the kind of direction and ambition our industry has been asking for. It charts a path toward greater self sufficiency, laying out plans that will crucially involve an increase in the planting of productive softwood trees and scale up domestic timber production. These are not just targets — they are imperatives for reducing our reliance on imports, which currently make up a huge 80% of UK timber usage (worth £9 billion).
“Timber is one of the most effective tools we have to reduce emissions in construction. Larger buildings can store up to 400% more carbon when built out of engineered timber products compared to when built with concrete. And with 25% of UK emissions coming from the built environment, that’s a game changer. Additionally, the economic case for homegrown timber is undeniable with in Scotland alone, forestry contributes £1.1 billion to the economy, supporting more than 34,000 jobs.
“At BSW Group, we are proud to play a leading role in this transformation, as the UK’s largest integrated forestry and timber business, our operations span the entire lifecycle of timber.
“This starts from producing 35 million saplings annually through Maelor Forest Nurseries and planting over a billion trees via Tilhill Forestry, all the way through to manufacturing a wide range of sustainable British timber products.
“And through Scott Pallets and the pioneering Pallet LOOP, we’re tackling wood waste head-on, making reuse and recycling a core part of construction logistics.
“This is about more than business. It’s about building a more resilient, sustainable future. Every time a customer chooses British timber, they’re doing more than completing a project — they’re making a statement. They’re investing in British jobs, supporting local businesses, and reducing our collective carbon footprint.
“We’ve never been more optimistic. The TiC Roadmap signals real momentum, and with sustained collaboration across government and industry, we’re confident that homegrown timber will become the rule, not the exception. At BSW Group, we’re ready to lead the way.”
See page 30 of our June/July 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
