Timber and Sustainability: A Chat with David Rowlinson

With sustainability becoming more important in construction, timber is getting a lot of attention for all the right reasons—it’s renewable, stores carbon, and has a much lower environmental footprint than other building materials. To get a better understanding of timber’s role in creating a greener future, we sat down with David Rowlinson, who’s been in the architecture and environmental space for decades. In this interview, David shares his thoughts on why responsibly sourced timber is such a game changer for reducing carbon emissions and how it’s shaping the future of construction. Dive in to find out how timber is leading the way in sustainable building!

 

Hi, David, could you tell us a bit about your background? 

David RowlinsonMy name’s David Rowlinson, and my background is in architecture and building, which I studied in the UK.  I’ve been living in Australia for 30 years, so this is definitely home. When Australia plays England at cricket, I’m supporting Australia, not England! 

From a timber perspective, I worked with an organization called Planet Ark, which is an environmental foundation based in Sydney. My role was to manage a campaign called Make It Wood, which aims to increase the use of responsibly sourced timber in the building and construction industry. My focus is mainly on the environmental benefits of timber, but I’ve also delved into its biophilic design benefits, health and wellbeing advantages, and other technical attributes. I’ve been doing that for about 10 years now, and it’s been a lot of fun, so long may it continue. 

 

Why is responsibly sourced timber such an effective solution for reducing carbon emissions? 

Responsibly sourced timber is an extremely effective solution, particularly in helping to reduce climate change. The building and construction sector worldwide is responsible for about 39% of total CO2 emissions. About 28% of that comes from operational carbon, which refers to the energy used to power lifts, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling systems. The remaining 11% is what we call embodied carbon, which is the energy required for manufacturing building products. 

Timber plays a significant role here because it absorbs more carbon in its growth phase than the energy used in its production. This makes timber a material with a negative global warming potential when compared to concrete and steel. Concrete and steel are each responsible for about 7-8% of total CO2 emissions. They’re useful products, but they come with a significant environmental cost. 

 

Can you explain the specific environmental benefits of timber? 

Absolutely. There are three primary environmental benefits. First, timber is renewable. You can’t grow steel or concrete, but you can grow timber. To put that in perspective, a typical frame and truss house in Australia uses about 12 cubic meters of radiata pine. That can be regrown in Australian plantations in about two and a half minutes. 

Second, timber stores carbon, specifically biogenic carbon. For example, that same 12 cubic meter house stores about 2.8 tons of biogenic carbon, which equates to about 10 tons of CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere. And this carbon can be stored for a long time, sometimes even centuries, in built environments. 

Lastly, timber has very low embodied carbon. While some energy is used in milling and transportation, it’s significantly less than the CO2 sequestered during the growth phase. This makes timber extremely environmentally friendly compared to concrete and steel, which have much higher embodied carbon. 

 

Can you explain how timber stores carbon and why that’s important for fighting climate change? 

Sure! As many high school students know, photosynthesis is the process by which trees absorb CO2 and emit oxygen. This absorbed CO2 becomes part of the tree’s biomass, what we call biogenic carbon. About 50% of the dry weight of timber is this carbon, which remains stored in the timber until it’s either burned or decomposed. In the built environment, timber can store this carbon for decades or even centuries, making it a vital part of the fight against climate change. 

 

People often associate timber with deforestation. How does certified timber ensure sustainable building? 

That’s a great question. In Australia, we have one of the most regulated and well-managed forestry sectors in the world. The total forest area is around 134 million hectares, and about 2 million of that is plantation. Nearly all of this plantation area is certified, meaning that when a tree is harvested, at least one, often more, is planted in its place. Certification ensures the forest is responsibly managed and harvested. 

In fact, 87% of Australia’s timber production comes from plantations. The deforestation narrative simply doesn’t hold true when you look at the statistics. The forest area in Australia is actually growing. 

 

What are the energy-efficiency benefits of timber compared to other building materials? 

Timber is a fantastic thermal insulator. It’s about 15 times more insulating than brick or stone. Think of it like this: if you put a steel spoon in a pot of boiling water, you can’t hold it for long because steel conducts heat very efficiently. But with a wooden spoon, you can hold it the entire time because wood is a poor conductor of heat, making it an excellent insulator. 

When used in construction, timber helps reduce heat loss through walls, reducing energy bills for heating and cooling. Mass timber, which is increasingly being used in larger-scale construction, also plays a big role in this. Its thermal properties make it ideal for energy-efficient building designs, such as passive housing. 

 

What is the biggest misconception about timber in building applications, and how do you address it? 

There are two big misconceptions. The first is that timber leads to widespread deforestation. As I mentioned, this isn’t supported by the numbers, especially in Australia where the majority of timber comes from certified plantations. 

The second misconception is that timber buildings are more prone to fire. While timber does burn, it chars on the outside, which slows the rate of burning. This process is predictable, allowing for safer designs that make it easier to evacuate a building in the event of a fire. This isn’t always the case with steel or concrete, which can fail unpredictably at high temperatures. 

 

When choosing timber or building materials, what should builders, architects, and homeowners be looking for? 

The most important factor is certification. In Australia, the two main certification systems are FSC and PEFC, known here as Responsible Wood. Certified timber ensures that it’s responsibly sourced and suitable for its intended structural use. Local timber is also preferable as it minimizes transportation emissions, and of course, it should always be structurally fit for the project. 

 

How can timber manufacturers and distributors best promote the use of timber in the industry? 

Timber is increasingly being used in combination with other materials like concrete, steel, and glass, especially in larger-scale construction projects. It’s essential that timber manufacturers promote the material’s environmental benefits, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency. Timber is well understood and widely used in residential construction, but there’s an opportunity to expand its use in new applications, particularly in commercial and larger buildings. 

 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge in getting builders to shift to using timber? 

One of the main challenges is the availability of locally grown timber. Builders also need to better understand timber’s structural properties and its environmental benefits. Many builders may find it easier to stick to what they know, but educating them on timber’s renewability, carbon storage, and low embodied carbon can help shift their mindset. 

 

With your background in architecture and engineering, how have you seen the approach to using timber evolve? 

Over the past decade, timber has seen increasing use in larger-scale constructions, such as high-rise apartments and university buildings. Engineers and architects are now more aware of its environmental benefits and structural properties. There’s also a growing interest in biophilic design, which incorporates natural elements like timber into buildings, benefiting people’s psychological and physiological well-being. 

 

How do you see timber’s role evolving over the next decade in sustainable construction? 

Timber’s use in construction will definitely continue to grow, especially as more people recognize its environmental, structural, and insulation benefits. We’re already seeing more timber used in office buildings, schools, and hospitals. The potential for growth is enormous, but we need to ensure that we can grow enough timber to meet demand, which will likely require government intervention. 

 

What excites you most about timber’s future in building carbon-neutral structures? 

I’m excited by the progress we’ve seen in places like Europe and North America, where timber is already widely used. The potential for timber’s growth in Australia is huge. Timber offers structural, aesthetic, and environmental benefits that other materials simply can’t match. The challenge now is ensuring we have enough plantation timber to meet this growing demand. 

 

In one sentence, why should builders and homeowners choose timber as the material of their future? 

Timber is by far the best environmental alternative—its renewable, stores carbon long-term, and has much lower embodied energy than other materials. 

 

 Lastly, what’s your advice to timber manufacturers aiming to lead in sustainability? 

My advice would be to ensure that everyone—architects, designers, engineers, and homeowners—fully understands the environmental and structural benefits of timber. Keep the messaging simple: renewable, carbon storage, and low embodied energy. If every customer understood that, the timber industry would be in a good position moving forward. 

 

Timber isn’t just a strong building material—it’s a smart choice for a greener future. As David Rowlinson shared, it’s renewable, stores carbon, and helps reduce the environmental impact of construction. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option that makes a real difference, timber is definitely the way to go.