Announced on 9 November at COP31, the proposed 12-month collaboration will look into how the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction are recognised and rewarded via sustainability assessment systems, such as BREEAM, DGNB, EDGE, Green Star and LEED.

Developed by Built by Nature and supported by almost 400 endorsers, the principles provide a framework to help ensure that higher demand for timber delivers benefits for climate, nature as well as people. 

The initiative intends to support developers, investors and other organisations committed to responsible timber construction to understand how they can show their alignment with the principles via building certification frameworks.

The collaboration will kick off with the development of a white paper looking into how the rating systems currently address responsible timber and other biobased materials. 

It will map out current requirements, credits and performance benchmarks spanning across embodied carbon, carbon storage, responsible sourcing, circularity, durability and whole-life performance. 

It will also identify opportunities for more alignment, drawing on practical guidance and examples from global construction projects.

The white paper will also provide guidance for building project teams on how they can embed the principles in development and construction practice while also pursuing sustainability certifications.

Outside of the research, the partners identify gaps and opportunities to boost the recognition of responsible timber construction via guidance, assessment criteria and incentives. 

The announcement was made on 9 November at a COP31 side event, called ‘Building for Forests: Advancing Forest-Positive Construction.’

Convened by the Building for Forests Coalition, the event brought together government ministers, climate leaders and senior representatives from international organisations, industry and finance.

Tom Wilson, director of BREEAM at BRE, said: “Timber and other sustainable materials have an important role to play in reducing the environmental impact of construction, but it is essential that their use is supported by robust standards for responsible sourcing and sustainability.

“Through this collaboration, we want to explore how established green building rating systems like BREEAM can better support the responsible use of these materials, giving developers and investors greater confidence in the choices they make. 

Wilson added: “By working alongside our international partners, we have an opportunity to establish a clearer, more consistent approach that can help drive responsible timber construction across the industry.”

Paul King, chief executive of Built by Nature, said: “This collaboration is an important milestone for responsible timber construction. Green building rating systems shape decisions made every day by investors, developers, asset owners and project teams around the world. 

“Making a clearer alignment between the Principles and existing certification frameworks helps developers, investors and project teams specify and deliver responsible timber construction with greater confidence and at greater scale.”

Jorge Chapa, chief impact officer at the Green Building Council of Australia, said: “Timber and other biobased materials can play a big part in cutting the upfront carbon in our buildings, helping to restore nature, and bringing about a more circular economy, but only if they’re responsibly sourced. 

“Our goal with this project is to better communicate how our rating systems already promote the use of timber and biobased materials, and to look for opportunities to drive greater uptake.”