What is the Difference Between Carbon-Neutral, Net-Zero and Climate Positive?

There’s no doubt that the world of sustainability contains a lot of jargon. As a scientific area, it’s not surprising that this is the case, but it can get pretty confusing. Unless you’re an industry expert, how are you meant to understand all of the eco-friendly buzzwords being thrown around? We understand your dilemma, and we’re here to help.

One of the most essential and relevant sets of terms at the moment is carbon neutral, net-zero, and climate positive. These are being thrown about all over the place, but what do they mean? Our sustainable timber experts are here to explain.

How Can Sustainable Timber Help You Become Net Zero?

Using sustainable timber in your civil, marine and building projects is a great way to work towards lowering your carbon emissions or even becoming net-zero! The wood you use will have absorbed plenty of carbon dioxide as it grew, making it a carbon-negative product (it absorbs more carbon than it emits). But if the tree was left in the forest, it would die, rot and release all the CO2 it had absorbed right back into the atmosphere.

You can stop that from happening by incorporating our dense timber into your projects – this is called carbon sinking and is one of the best ways to help fight climate change. Sourced from sustainably managed forests, it’s a great way to use building materials that lower your project’s carbon footprint.

What Does Net Zero Mean?

Net-zero is a term that’s been used a lot in the news recently. Our government (and many others) have rolled out plans to become net-zero by 2050 to limit the amount the global temperature is likely to rise. But what is net-zero?

Essentially, net-zero means reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (such as carbon, methane and others) to the lowest possible amount – and then offsetting the rest as a last resort. This is very difficult to reach. Systems need to be very carefully designed to reduce and avoid any emissions so that there’s very little to offset.

Offsetting

One of the most common ways to remove, or offset, carbon emissions is by planting new trees, since trees suck carbon from the atmosphere as they grow – something we at Ecochoice are very supportive of! Other ways include peat and mangrove restoration – all of which can be part of comprehensive rewilding projects.

What Does Carbon Neutral Mean?

Carbon neutral refers to situations where no net CO2e is released into the atmosphere – key to this is the word net. Notice that unlike net-zero, this goal with carbon neutrality is to not increase emissions but to remain at current levels while trying to balance any emissions through offsetting. It can refer to the carbon footprint of products, people, countries and even the entire planet, just as net-zero can.

What Does Climate Positive Mean?

Climate positive goes beyond carbon neutral and net-zero. Rather than aiming for zero emissions, your actions have a positive impact. The final result is removing carbon and other dangerous gases from the atmosphere: a positive contribution to the planet’s total carbon budget!

For example, on top of getting to net-zero, you may do work to help educate others in your supply chain about the positives of switching to renewable energy. Or maybe you create sustainable alternatives to everyday products that help users lower their carbon footprint. Being climate positive is all about making decisions that don’t just lower your emissions but also the emissions of those around you.

Do Your Bit With Sustainable Timber

If you’re looking for sustainable timber for your next project, our team at EcoChoice can help. We only stock eco-friendly timber and have a wide range from which to choose what is right for you. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our team today, and we’ll be more than happy to lend a hand.

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Our timber experts have years of experience and will be able to match the perfect species to your project, as well as provide a quote for sustainable timber at highly competitive prices.

Frequently asked questions

Do you supply timber for domestic uses?

Yes, we supply timber for domestic applications as well as commercial and public constructions. From garden decking to shed cladding, we will be happy to supply smaller deliveries for home use.

Is your timber FSC-certified?

Yes, all timber we supply is FSC or PEFC certified and sourced from independently verified responsibly managed forests. If we can’t find your request in FSC/PEFC certified timber we’ll suggest an alternative that is certified or clearly note that the offer is minimum EUTR.

Where does EcoChoice deliver to?

EcoChoice delivers to construction sites, warehouses and homes across the UK, as long as there’s access and unloading for our trucks.

What are the best timber species for exterior use?

There are many different timber species suitable for exterior use and which is the best for your project depends on your requirements. In general, though, we recommend EkkiGreenheartOpepe and Oak for heavier civil/marine uses. For intermediary external use such as decking, where the timber needs to be both strong and durable but not on the same level as civil engineering (bridgespiling, etc) we usually supply CumaruIpe, Jatoba, and Balau. And for the lighter exterior use where the timber is non-structural such as cladding, we deliver CedarLarchThermowood and others.

Which timber is the most durable?

Durability Class 1 timbers are the most durable. This of course depends on the use (hazard) class they’ll be in service for. For direct ground and water contact such as sleepers, fenders, marine piling, etc, Ekki and Greenheart are known to be the most durable timbers available. For decking and cladding where there’s no direct ground contact (use class 3) there’s a much wider range of timbers such Larch, Cedar, Thermo modified Pine or Ash and others.

What’s the best timber for internal cladding?

Internal cladding, where your timber is not in ground and not exposed to the elements can be classed as either use-class 1 or 2 – in which case most timbers will meet this durability criteria. That is not to say they’ll be the best, since internal environments have lower humidity (moisture) levels than outside. So in these cases, it’s best to go for a kiln-dried timber cladding board as these are more stable and delivered already in lower MC (moisture content) than the usual fresh sawn timbers sent to external applications. A word of caution – as timber reacts to variations in moisture, it’s best to avoid cladding any areas inside your bathroom.

How can I make decking less slippery?

The first thing is to ensure your deck boards are kept clean from leaves and other debris which will, over time, cover the surface and make it more slippery. Grooved boards can be used to improve grip if installed and used perpendicular to traffic, so especially useful in narrow passages and footbridges. Lastly, you can add our Grip-Choice strips: these are a mix of epoxy with aggregates that add gripping ridges to your deck area. Gripchoice is an easy way to make decking less slippery and safer, especially over large areas or where there’s high traffic. We can pre-install Grip-Choice strips for your decking before delivery or ship the strips separately to add to your existing deck’s grooves as a retro-fit solution.

What wood machining services do you offer?

We can offer planing, sawing, drilling and profiling of rough-sawn wood to any profile you require: from handrails to large port fenders.

Can you supply pre-drilled timber?

Yes, we will be happy to provide pre-drilled timber which is tailored to your needs for quick installation, thus saving you valuable time on site.

What cladding profiles do you supply?

We provide a wide range of cladding profiles, including tongue and groove, featheredge and shiplap. You can check the standard profiles here – but we can also match or custom make profiles to suit your specific needs.

Does timber change colour?

Yes, timber is well-known for changing colour over time. Some species can darken quickly right after installation, and like most untreated wood will eventually weather to a beautiful silver-grey. Interior timber is less likely to change colour (depending on conditions), and timber can be stained, painted or treated with UV-resistant oils to reduce colour change.

Do I need to treat exterior timber?

Some timbers such as Oak and Ekki, can withstand the strains of exterior use without any treatment. However, to extend the lifespan and maintain the aesthetic of your wood, we do recommend treating your timber with stains and oils. Pre-treated timber, such as ThermoWood and OrganoWood, are low-maintenance options which are more durable, but can have their life service extended by applying a clean and stain maintenance schedule.

Do I need to treat interior timber?

Depends on what area the timber is being used. For floor joists and timber rafters, it is common to see timber treated, or least very well kiln-dried. Other uses such as flooring may benefit from varnishing while internal timber cladding for decorative purposes shouldn’t require any treatment other than if you want to change its colour with different types of stains or oils.

Where are you based?

We’re based in Cambridge, UK, and coordinate multiple sawmills all over the world to manufacture your order. We then organise delivery with a range of hauliers so that your orders gets to your site on time.

What are the usual decking sizes?

Timber decking is usually 21x140mm or similar. For heavier applications where there’s more load and traffic, we deliver 35 or 45mm thick boards (such as Hastings Pier). Narrower boards are also possible: 95-90mm is a standard width – but we can manufacture whatever size you require.

What are the usual cladding sizes?

Typical cladding section sizes are 18×95 and 18x145mm although we can always custom make a section to suit your project’s design requirements. That includes waney edge boards in Oak or Chestnut as well as extra wide 195mm boards.

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What our customers say about us

Good quality, great service, fast delivery!

5

Marinella Li

Always helpful! One of our valued TDCA DeckMark and CladMark accredited supplier members which means their quality procedures are routinely audited and stand up to scrutiny giving you extra peace of mind.

5

Janet Sycamore

Having needed the supply of cladding, decking boards and other specified timbers through out the year Eco choice have been very helpful in sourcing the specified timbers and quantities required at a very competitive price.

5

Tim Saunders

Great quality, service and price. A pleasure to deal with. I would highly recommend Eco Choice.

5

Emma Hurrell

Fantastic company- Mike and the team are the best in the business- worked with them for many years.

5

Prem Raja

Always reliable and quality products, easy to deal with company.

5

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Average rating on Google Reviews

  • 6 years ago

Fantastic company- Mike and the team are the best in the business- worked with them for many years.

Prem Raja

  • 9 years ago

Excellent service and outstanding product

Cindy Dicks

  • 9 years ago

Wonderful guys!

Nicola Edmead

  • 9 years ago

Great service, quality products and very easy to deal with. Thank you.

Malcolm Coury

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