In its pursuit of sustainable procurement strategies, the UK building industry is turning to one of the oldest and most familiar building materials: wood. A renewable resource when grown in sustainably-managed forests, wood has excellent insulating properties which helps achieve warm, low-energy buildings, thus conserving fossil fuels.

This is one of the reasons why timber-frame construction is the fastest-growing ‘modern method of construction’ (MMC) in the UK today.

As the UK’s leading supplier of wood-based panel products, Norbord is acutely aware both of its environmental responsibilities and the opportunity offered by timber products to make a positive contribution to the sustainability of the construction industry.

Norbord’s product range, which includes SterlingOSB, Caberwood MDF and Caberboard particleboard, is widely used in all sectors of the industry, especially housebuilding. OSB in particular is a primary component of most timber-frame systems, but all Norbord products are used extensively within traditional brick-and-block houses too.

“The timber used in our products is grown locally, in sustainably-managed forests” comments Steve Roebuck, Norbord’s Environment, Health and Safety Director. “But don’t just take my word for it, our products are all covered by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) chain of custody certification. Sustainable forestry has an important role in countering carbon emissions. Trees absorb CO2 as they grow and that CO2 is locked away in the timber when the tree is harvested. It remains locked away in the products we make. Meanwhile, new trees are planted to replace the ones harvested. The process is a continuous cycle” adds Steve.

However, Norbord’s commitment to environmental best practice extends well beyond the use of renewable softwood logs. For example, the company has an ongoing programme to use more wood residues for energy production in its factories. In 2005, Norbord began installation of a new 12 megawatt wood residue fired energy system to significantly reduce consumption of natural gas at its Cowie plant in Scotland and a 48 megawatt plant at Genk in Belgium in 2007. Worldwide, more than 80% of the energy needed to make Norbord OSB is now derived from residual wood fuel.

Using renewable forest products, constantly driving down the reliance of fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are fundamental components of Norbord’s approach to its corporate social responsibility. “In the past five years we have reduced both our use of fossil fuels and our greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 40%” says Steve.

“Environmental good practice provides a very strong argument in favour of using Norbord products” continues Steve. “Our commitment to sustainable forestry and the continuous reduction in our environmental impact is essential to the future of the business, as well as the future of the environment we live in”.