Building more timber-framed homes could save Ireland “millions of tonnes” of carbon emissions compared to masonry construction, according to one leading industry body.
Ibec’s Forestry Industries Ireland group said there is a growing demand for timber in Irish construction as the “environmental credentials” of wood for building is “increasingly recognised”.
The Ibec group has highlighted that a typical timber-frame home contains around “7m3 of wood” while an average timber-frame built home “saves about 12t of carbon dioxide emissions”.
Mark McAuley, director of Forest Industries Ireland, said:
“If we look at the demand for 33,000 homes per annum in the government’s Housing for All, 10 years of building those as timber frame would save millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to masonry construction.
“We need to update the building regulations and build more apartments as well as houses from timber frame.”
The Ibec group is calling on the government to update building regulations to “allow taller timber frame buildings and apartments”.
It said that data contained in the latest National Forestry Inventory shows the growing timber output from Irish forests and the volume of timber they provide.
The inventory also highlights that forests will produce an increasing volume of timber in the immediate future.
According to Ibec this will “underpin significant growth” in the production of wood products including pallet and packaging, fencing products, and construction timber.
But the director of Forest Industries Ireland has also warned that challenges lie ahead.
“We require an efficient licensing process to realise the forecast level of log supply from Irish forests.
“Forestry regulation still requires a lot of improvement if it is to meet the demands of increased forestry activity,” McAuley added.
Latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) suggest that 94ha have been planted so far in 2023 which is significantly lower than the corresponding figure for 2023.
The Irish government is currently waiting on sign off from the European Commission for its proposed new €1.3 billion Forestry Programme 2023-2027.
According to the DAFM, afforestation planted in 2023 “reflect afforestation that has been paid at first grant stage this year to date only, i.e. approvals under the old programme but who are finalising planting in 2023”.
In the meantime, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has approved “interim” schemes for afforestation and roads.
The schemes are based on the de minimis rule which effectively makes them exempt from state aid rules.
The DAFM has indicated that the interim de minimis schemes are “scheduled to begin in the coming weeks”.