Carbon Warrior
Together, building operations and construction account for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. And just 3 materials – concrete, steel and aluminium – are responsible for 23% of total global emissions.
In Australia, the built environment accounts of approximately 25% of the nation’s annual carbon emissions.
If we are to tackle climate change and limit temperature increases to 1.5°c, we must address and reduce the emissions related to the built environment.
The time to act is now and one of the easiest ways you can make a difference is through the choice of materials. Currently timber is the most prominent and versatile 100% renewable building material that provides an answer to the climate crisis.
In fact, according to the UNEP’s International Resources Panel, emissions from the material cycle of residential buildings in the G7 and China could be reduced by at least 80% in 2050 through a series of material efficiency strategies.
Be a 
choose renewables and help create a greener future.
Benefits Of Timber
Whether you’re building a new home or delivering large-scale developments, responsibly sourced timber offers clear environmental, performance, and wellbeing benefits. As a renewable building material, timber plays a powerful role in addressing climate change while delivering strong, durable, and comfortable buildings.
A Renewable, Climate-Positive Material
Timber is a natural, 100% renewable building material. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as carbon within the wood. Around 50% of timber’s dry weight is carbon, meaning it continues to store carbon for the life of the product.
Just one cubic metre of wood stores approximately 0.9 tonnes of CO₂. By choosing certified timber products, you’re locking away carbon long-term and actively helping tackle climate change.
One of timber’s greatest strengths is its ability to store carbon. Trees absorb CO₂, release oxygen, and retain carbon, which remains locked in the timber for as long as it is in use.
By designing and building with certified timber, buildings themselves become long-term carbon stores - making timber a practical and climate-positive construction choice.
Build with timber and become a Carbon Warrior.
Timber is one of the world’s best-performing construction materials, trusted for centuries. Its strength-to-weight ratio is exceptional - around 20% higher than structural steel and four to five times higher than non-reinforced concrete in compression.
When properly designed and maintained, timber structures can last hundreds of years. Modern preservatives enhance its natural durability, making timber resistant to heat, frost, corrosion, and pollution across residential and commercial buildings.
Learn more about timber performance and engineered wood products at WoodSolutions.
Timber burns in a slow, predictable, and measurable way. When exposed to fire, it forms a protective char layer on its surface that insulates the inner core, slows heat penetration, and allows the structure to retain strength for longer.
Unlike steel, which can fail suddenly at high temperatures, timber’s fire behaviour is consistent and reliable - providing valuable time for evacuation and response while maintaining stability.
Timber is a highly effective natural insulator due to air pockets within its cellular structure. It is 15 times more insulating than masonry and concrete, 400 times more insulating than steel, and 1,770 times more insulating than aluminium.
This thermal performance helps reduce heating and cooling costs. Engineered timber products such as CLT, Glulam, and LVL further improve energy efficiency, while timber’s ability to regulate moisture helps stabilise indoor temperature and humidity.
Research shows that incorporating timber into buildings delivers real physiological and psychological benefits. Exposure to wood has been linked to reduced stress, lower blood pressure, improved concentration, and better learning and healing outcomes.
Building with timber isn’t just good for people - it’s good for the planet!
Being a Carbon Warrior means creating healthier spaces while supporting a more sustainable future.
Benefits of Timber
There are many benefits of using responsibly sourced wood, a 100% renewable building material.
Resources
Access an entire suite of resources that share the environmental and practical benefits of Timber Framing.
Embodied carbon emissions are projected to double by 2050 if Australia fails to act.
That’s why sustainable construction policies - like the Carbon Warrior Policy 4 Steps Towards a Greener Future must be implemented now.
The Carbon Warrior Policy sets out practical, evidence-based actions to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment while accelerating the transition to a greener future. Australians deserve buildings that support climate action, not undermine it.
FTMA has also collaborated on an expanded policy report, Steps Towards a Greener Future, providing clear, actionable recommendations to help government meet Australia’s climate commitments while addressing the urgent need for housing.
We call on all levels of government to act now - by adopting policies that cut embodied carbon, support renewable materials, and deliver on both environmental and housing targets.
Let's Build a Better World - Free Resources
To build a home is to build a future. And if we’re to dream of a brighter future, we must take care of the home we all share – Earth. It’s time to work with nature and embrace the natural wonders of timber framing.
The world is counting on people like us to help it focus on building materials that protect and preserve our planet. Quite literally growing on trees, Timber Framing – The Ultimate Renewable™ is sustainable, renewable, non-toxic and organic.
To help our industry promote timber framing, the Timber Framing Collective has released an entire suite of resources that share the environmental and practical benefits of Timber Framing – The Ultimate Renewable™.
The biggest investment an average person will make in their life is their house.
But, did you know?
The biggest impact a person can have on climate change is also their house.
How? Through choosing the right materials for the environment.
Wood stores carbon, instead of creating carbon, like other construction materials. By using renewable bio-based materials like wood for your house, you can significantly reduce the number of embodied emissions involved.
By choosing wood, you are taking significant steps to building a zero-carbon house.
