With the eyes of the world on COP26 in the first two weeks of November, the global timber industry is collectively hosting the ‘World of Wood Festival’ in London.
This six-week celebration of global timber and global forests takes place from 25 October to 3 December at the Building Centre in Store Street, London, online, and virtually.
The COP26 climate talks will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree on coordinated action to tackle climate change. Building on crucial climate change policy, the World of Wood Festival will showcase the vital role that forest supply chains have on our climate in local and global environments, and feature innovations and the design and increased carbon storage potential of responsibly sourced timber from around the world.
Devised and coordinated by the UK Timber Trade Federation and CEI-Bois, representing European woodworking industries; the team has created an alliance of over 40 separate associations, organisations, businesses and campaigns representing global forest growth and development, engineered mass timber and wood-based products from Indonesia to Ghana, Australia, North America and China. This initiative is also supported by UK Aid, under the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s FGMC programme (Forest Governance, Markets and Climate).
Recognising that global action against climate change requires global collaboration, the WOW Festival will bring together the international industry through events and opportunities for action. The six-week program highlights the full timber supply chain from different regions of the world, unpinning governance and sustainable management practices, as well as the products that come out of these forests, their uses, and applications.
The World of Wood Festival tells the story of how global forests and the wood products cycle is helping to avert climate change, decarbonising construction, and supporting social, environmental and economic growth through governance in developing countries. Within these three connected themes, one key message prevails and remains more crucial than ever: that wood equals hope.
David Hopkins, Chief Executive of the Timber Trade Federation, said: “COP26 is an unmissable opportunity for policymakers to put into action what we as the global timber and forest sector already know; that nature-based solutions are an essential part of the climate mitigation necessary.
“Global forests and wood products are crucial to averting catastrophic climate change.
“We want to display the beauty of timber, its role in the climate emergency as a carbon store and to build global recognition that good governance and forest management is the fundamental component of growing forests around the world”.
The WOW Festival will be supported by an event website www.worldofwoodfestival.org as a key resource and home for timber products, forests and climate information from the Festival’s supporters from all over the world, and a WOW Festival mobile augmented reality app will be launched for the start of the festival.
