Statistics show that in the past 50 years, the planet has lost 50% of its forest cover. Due to this massive loss of forestry, the world's carbon footprint is increasing at an alarming rate. Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide (the most harmful greenhouse gas that affects climate change) from the atmosphere and also store carbon within themselves and the soil they are planted in, so an increased demand for locally sourced timber means that new trees will be planted to further help absorb as much carbon dioxide as possible. There is a huge need for the nation if not the world to keep using renewable energy sources, and timber has always been a source due to the wood itself locking up carbon in its fibres.

Timber is a fantastic construction material, and has many advantages over other construction materials such as concrete or steel. Timber is easier to repair than these other materials with the use of skilled carpenters, and the fact that timber is a low-allergen and low-preservative material unlike some means health benefits are in abundance. Local timber has been responsibly sourced and meets a very high quality standard for its many uses. Timber is fantastic for insulating a building in the ceilings, walls and floors due to the extra deep cavities in the wood, which provide more than a required amount of insulation for a building. When a building is thermally efficient, it is therefore more eco-friendly as less money is spent on gas heating or fires for the house and lower energy bills mean a lower family carbon footprint.

An incentive that is doing a lot for locally sourced timber and putting it to use correctly is the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). This incentive promotes the use of renewable energy sources (such as locally sourced timber) for heat in industrial, business and public sectors of the nation. 38% of the United Kingdom's carbon emissions come from these sectors, therefore when renewable energy is brought into these environments the nation's carbon footprint will be drastically reduced. There are also the practical benefits of using locally sourced timber. As the timber is local, job opportunities could arise in the transporting, cutting or carpentry of the timber. This also brings wealth to the nation, and cuts the need to import timber from other countries; something that uses significantly more energy emissions to do. If timber is locally sourced, an emission-free, insulated and multi-faceted tool is at your disposal.