Timber Beats Steel by 97% on Carbon — Yet Databases Haven’t Caught Up
A new open‑access study in npj Materials Sustainability shows engineered wood products contain only 3‑5% of the embodied carbon of primary steel in structural beams, with reused steel achieving a 97% reduction. The researchers examined 204 emerging structural materials but found carbon data for just 18% of them. Major design databases still list only glulam, leaving CLT, bamboo glulam and other low‑carbon options invisible to architects. The paper highlights bamboo glulam’s comparable strength and net‑negative emissions, urging broader database inclusion.
Canada Backs Timber Robotics to Deliver It’s $13B Housing Agenda
Canada is investing more than $4 million CAD (≈$3 million US) in a robotics‑enabled wood‑truss plant in Clinton, Ontario, under the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program. The facility, run by Atlas Engineered Products, will boost precision manufacturing, cut waste, and...
“From Russia of All Places” — B.C. Premier Hits Out at U.S. Lumber Tariffs
British Columbia Premier David Eby used the BC Council of Forest Industries conference to condemn U.S. softwood lumber tariffs, urging American buyers to source timber from Canada rather than Europe or Russia. He noted that U.S. demand outstrips domestic production,...
At $3.39 a Litre, Australia’s Fuel Relief Still Falls 153 Cents Short
Diesel prices in regional Australia have surged to A$3.39 per litre (about US$2.24), far exceeding the federal government’s three‑month fuel relief promise of a 58.7‑cent (≈US$0.39) saving. Even after the Road User Charge is removed and the fuel excise is...
Atlassian Races Past Ascent — World’s Tallest Plyscraper Towers Over Sydney
Atlassian Central Tower in Sydney has overtaken Milwaukee’s Ascent to become the world’s tallest hybrid timber (plyscraper) tower at 39 storeys and a $1.45 billion cost. The 21 timber‑clad floors comprise seven four‑storey “timber habitats” that are free‑standing CLT modules cantilevered...
€8m Upgrade Doubles Cygnum’s Irish Timber Frame Output to 2,500 Homes
Cygnum, an Irish timber‑frame specialist, unveiled an €8 million ($8.7 million) factory extension in Macroom, County Cork, creating 150 jobs and raising annual output from 1,400 to 2,500 homes. The company reported 2024 turnover of €34.6 million ($37.7 million) and operating profit of €5.46 million...
HAMR Energy Wins Federal Backing for $800m Forest-to-Fuel Plan
HAMR Energy was selected for the Australian Government’s Investor Front Door pilot, securing roughly $528 million (AUD 800 million) to advance two forest‑to‑fuel projects. The Portland Renewable Fuels plant in Victoria will convert plantation residues into 300,000 tonnes per year of low‑carbon methanol, while...
BC Softwood Under Siege as 45% Tariffs and Red Tape Squeeze Mills
British Columbia’s softwood sector faces a dual crisis: a 45% tariff imposed by the United States and a provincial regulatory regime that limits access to fibre, the industry’s primary cost driver. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) vice‑president Kurt Niquidet warned...
Scotland’s Homeless Get Highland CLT Home — and a 60-Year Future
Fifteen factory‑built cross‑laminated timber (CLT) homes, called Nest Houses, have been installed at the Harriet Gardens development in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, providing self‑contained accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. The units, manufactured in Invergordon and shipped south, are slated for occupancy...
WPMA Targets High-Value Wood Processing in Five-Point Manifesto
The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (WPMA) released a 2026 election manifesto urging a shift from raw‑log exports to high‑value wood manufacturing. The sector employs more than 38,000 people and generates over NZ$5 billion (≈US$2.9 billion) annually, yet about 60%...
Brazil Is Undercutting African Timber — and Freight Hikes Are Making It Worse
The ITTO market report warns that African timber exporters are being squeezed by cheap Brazilian pine and rising freight costs, while demand remains weak in Europe and only modestly improving from China. In Gabon, Chinese interest in okoumé offers some...
Wisconsin Signs $120M Bill to Turn Its Timber Waste Into Jet Fuel
Wisconsin approved a $120 million tax‑incentive package for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant that will turn timber mill residues and forest by‑products into jet‑grade fuel using gasification and Fischer‑Tropsch processes. The facility is a joint venture between local Johnson Timbers...
‘Historic’ NZ–India FTA to Scrap 95% of Tariffs on Wood Exports
New Zealand and India will sign a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement on April 24, eliminating tariffs on 95% of New Zealand wood products, including timber, lumber, pulp and paperboard. The deal grants immediate duty‑free access for most wood exports and phases out...
Australia’s Timber Design Awards Turns 27 — Is Your Project Next?
The Australian Timber Design Awards celebrate 27 years of timber‑focused architecture, opening entries for the 2026 competition. Early‑bird pricing ends at 7 pm on May 29, with the final submission deadline on June 30. The program welcomes projects of any scale—residential, commercial or...
New Rules Would Cap English Timber Buildings at Four Storeys
The UK Health and Safety Executive has opened a consultation to amend Approved Document B, effectively banning structural timber in English buildings taller than 11 metres (about four storeys). The proposal would require any building above that height to meet an...
Australia Is “Too Dependent” On Stick Framing to Hit Its Housing Targets
Australia’s reliance on on‑site stick framing is hampering its ability to meet the government’s one‑million‑home target. A chronic shortage of carpenters—over 115,000 workers needed—has left the construction sector unable to scale output. Kurt Schrammel of Vida Wood warns that large‑scale...
Build, Baby Build: OWow to Break Ground with First Fully Affordable Plyscraper
Oakland developer oWow, backed by Community HousingWorks, will break ground on an 11‑storey post‑and‑plate mass‑timber tower at 1523 Harrison Street. The $10.2 million land purchase and $39.6 million municipal financing fund a fully affordable project delivering 284 units, all LIHTC‑financed. The building’s...
4-Storey Mass Timber Office Puts Crane Over Cyclone-Hit Hastings
A four‑storey, 5,000 sqm mass‑timber office is under construction in Hastings, funded through a $2.5 million sale‑and‑leaseback with developer Tumu Property. The council will lease back 1,950 sqm, consolidating 80 staff into one building while keeping capital off its balance sheet amid rising...
EU Lumber Exports to UAE Slid 14% — Then the Strait of Hormuz Closed
European lumber exports to the UAE fell 14% in January, dropping to 29,500 cubic metres, while the average price rose 6% to $332 per cubic metre, 20% above a year earlier. The decline coincides with the closure of the Strait...
American Hardwoods Are Finding a New Home in India and Vietnam
A three‑day inbound trade mission organized by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and SUSTA brought Indian and Vietnamese hardwood buyers to three Appalachian mills, resulting in multiple export contracts. U.S. hardwood shipments to India reached a record $12.28 million in...
The 29-Story Timber Skyscraper ‘Energizing’ Downtown St Louis
AHM Group is set to break ground on “The 314,” a 29‑story, 287‑unit mixed‑use tower in downtown St. Louis that will be built primarily with cross‑laminated timber. The $232 million project, backed by $171 million in municipal bonds and a sales‑tax exemption,...