Timber: Solution or Illusion?

THE BIG DEBATE — ROUND TWO

Timber: Solution or Illusion?

Is timber the sustainability solution of our dreams?

Agree? Disagree? You’ll get to vote before and after the arguments.

Let’s see who walks out unmoved and who rethinks everything.

At our Circular Disruption Forum in November, our debate proposition set the passions firing. Some of the panellists wanted us to keep going — especially Matt De Jongh and Susie Russell — so here we are: Round Two.

What’s on the table?

If there is one material guaranteed to get the emotions rising, it is this gift from nature. Timber is gorgeous, it feels great and it smells great.

And we love it. But are we smothering it?

On the pure environmental front, you’ll hear how timber sequesters carbon and can outperform most conventional materials on embodied carbon.

But also how forests are our lungs and where biodiversity thrives.

The source, the source

We import most of our construction timber, but what do we really know about its source. You’ll hear about certification, illegal logging, what the EU is planning to protect timber and whether blockchain can help.

Can we grow our own and manage our forests sustainably?

Alternatives

There’s also a whole new industry emerging of alternative bio based and composite materials. Can they take some of the pressure off?

This debate is about facts, futures, forests – and the fine line between what we want timber to be and what the science actually says.

Prepare to vote

Tuesday 9 December, 12:30–2:00 pm

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Meet the persuaders

Natalie Reynolds, managing director and chief legal counsel at Hikari Solutions

Natalie is a lawyer and sustainability professional with over 25 years of experience across the timber, building, and construction industries. She is the former CEO of FSC Australia and Global Transformation and Development Director of FSC International. Her legal practice assists companies to comply with Australia’s Illegal Logging Laws and achieve FSC or PEFC Certification, comply with Mandatory Climate Reporting legislation and achieve circularity and compliance with GBCA standards. Her company operates as the secretariat of the Australian Timber Importers Federation, where Natalie works with members directly to drive sustainability, professionalism and compliance.

Adrian Taylor, regenerative lead at BVN

Adrian Taylor is the Regenerative Lead at BVN. Through over a decade of applied research in architectural practice and academia, Adrian unlocks regenerative opportunities for real-world projects. He aims to leverage technology to make sustainability the status quo, equipping the industry with tools and knowledge to regenerate our built environment at a systemic level. Adrian has recently presented 2 papers at the World Conference of Timber Engineering in Brisbane on the use of mass timber to meet the needs of Australia’s construction industry.

Timothy Devlin, engineered timber lead at Materials & Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance (MECLA), timber structures consultant at Theca

Timothy Devlin is an award-winning architect with experience in the residential, multi-residential, aged-care and commercial sectors. A skilled innovator, he helped establish two successful prop-tech startups and has recently turned his hand to reducing embodied carbon in the Australian construction industry using engineered timber solutions. Timothy Devlin is the Chairman of the MECLA Engineered Timber Working Group.

Matt de Jongh, forester, director at Forestry Australia, sustainability manager at Responsible Wood

Matt de Jongh is the Sustainability Manager for Responsible Wood and also a Director and Registered Forestry Professional for Forestry Australia. Matt is a forester with over 20 years’ experience in both operational and policy roles. As an operational forester for about 11 years, Matt managed both native and plantation forests, with Forestry Corporation of NSW, in various locations throughout regional NSW, also spending time on a secondment to the NSW Natural Resources Commission to assist with the management of the statewide NSW Forest Monitoring and Improvement Program.

Susie Russell, vice president at the North Coast Environmental Council

Susie Russell has dedicated much of her life to forest protection since learning about the ongoing destruction of old growth forests in 1992. It’s been quite a journey since then. First as part of active forest defence with the local group Wingham Forest Action and now for three decades as part of the North East Forest Alliance. She has participated in blockades, been arrested several times, advocated in court and campaigned for change both inside government processes, on the streets and in the forests. She holds committee positions in several environmental organisations: The North East Forest Alliance, the North Coast Environment Council and the Rainforest Information Centre. In 2024 she was awarded the Miles Dunphy Award for her long-term commitment to environmental activism and the North East Forest Alliance won the Bob Brown Foundation’s Community Group award.

Why you can’t miss this

Timber is being sold as the material of the future.

Our panel is here to ask the uncomfortable question: Does the evidence match the promise?

Come for the debate. Stay for the revelations. Vote.

Will you change your mind?

This event is free for TFE Members—email members@thefifthestate.com.au for your code.

Recordings will not be available for this event.

Learn more about Timber: Solution or Illusion? here.