Is Timber the Answer? Can the Use of Cross-Laminated Timber in the Multi-Storey Residential Development Contribute to Meeting the Key Sustainability Targets Set in Construction 2025?

Global construction is forecast to grow by over 70% by 2025. To put the UK at the forefront of global construction, the industry and government created a joint strategy, ‘Construction 2025’, outlining targets based on cost, delivery, a reduction in imports and a reduction in emissions. It is the emissions target on which this chapter focuses. Latham, Egan, Wolstenholme and Farmer all criticised the industry’s lack of collaboration, with little improvement being made from these reports. If ‘Construction 2025’ emission targets are to be met, radical changes must be made. Timber, as a construction material, has progressed significantly over the last 15 years, particularly with the development of cross-laminated timber (CLT). Consequently, significant growth in its popularity in the multi-storey residential market has resulted. This study aims to establish if adopting CLT as the main structural element could be the multi-storey residential development sector’s solution to contribute to the reduction in emissions as set out in Construction 2025. A quantitative research methodology was adopted to gather data from industry professionals, exploring their views in relation to CLT’s sustainability credentials. The findings illustrate that a reduction in emissions was the highest priority among construction professionals. It also found that the adoption of CLT in the multi-storey residential sector can contribute to the sustainability targets set out in Construction 2025 as well as across the whole life cycle of the building.