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This is more versatile structures and it gives you a material that is both weather resistant, fire resistant, lighter and yet stronger. And the innovation is moving fast, so it is not a static picture we are looking at. So at the moment for people looking to perhaps build a new home with timber, insurance is still a consideration. Would timber frame houses not be more susceptible to higher insurance premiums, for example? Insurers need to be educated about the new timber products, the engineered timber products which are fire resistant and which can hold up against fire risks. That work is ongoing. There is a higher degree of communication between constructors, the production companies and insurers, and this is picking up pace.
Ouvrir dans l’explorateur00:51 – 01:46
and especially in areas where the fire risk is low, these insurance rates are already beginning to level out. So it is a matter of time before the insurance industry catches up. And looking ahead, can Europe realistically scale up timber construction while ensuring all wood is responsibly sourced and fully traceable? Looking ahead, the only way we can scale up timber construction is by making sure that the timber is responsibly sourced and responsibly managed across the value chain. Because without that, there is no way to ensure either stability of supply or maintaining global forests, Europe's forests, to the extent needed to provide the ecosystem services that the world right now needs.
Ouvrir dans l’explorateur01:46 – 01:58
But three conditions have to be met. First, not just the environmental services, the nature, the biodiversity and the ecosystem services have to be maintained and supported.
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