We need to reduce carbon emissions now, not in 10, 20 or 50 years’ time if we are to have an impact on global warming

Spreading the embodied carbon cost of a building over its life is therefore pretty irrelevant (Your next crisis is on its way, 4 June, page 40).

The point of reducing the embodied carbon in a building is a real carbon reduction right now, exactly when we need it most. Despite the recent upsurge in interest in the issue, wood and wood products have offered a solution for centuries thanks solely to photosynthesis using the energy of the sun to create a carbon store that itself can last for centuries.

John White, chief executive, Timber Trade Federation

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