Bowens Timber & Hardware has introduced a new digital carbon calculator aimed at helping builders better understand and communicate the environmental impact of their timber selections.

The calculator went live on 15 January and is now integrated across timber product pages on the company’s online store. It provides immediate data on how much carbon is stored in the timber being purchased and the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere as the tree grew.

According to Bowens director Andy Bowen, the goal is to make reliable sustainability data easily accessible during the purchasing process.

He said providing clear carbon figures at the point of sale allows builders to make more informed material choices and respond to increasing demand from clients for lower-carbon building options.

The construction sector is under growing pressure to reduce emissions and prepare for more detailed environmental reporting. Many builders, however, lack practical tools to quantify the carbon benefits of materials such as timber. By placing the calculator directly within its product listings, Bowens aims to simplify that process and highlight timber’s role in reducing a building’s embodied carbon.

Kersten Gentle from Carbon Warrior said building materials play a significant role in the environmental impact of homes, noting that certified timber can represent a major environmental investment for homeowners.

The calculator is based on established carbon factors and the weight of each timber product. It presents two key measures: the amount of carbon stored in the timber—approximately 0.42 kilograms of carbon per kilogram of wood—and the estimated 1.54 kilograms of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere for every kilogram of timber produced.

By translating complex environmental calculations into straightforward figures, the tool allows builders to quickly assess the carbon implications of their purchases and explain those impacts more clearly to clients.

As Australia continues to focus on more sustainable housing and construction practices, Bowens says the calculator is designed to give builders practical information that supports the use of renewable, carbon-storing materials such as timber.

Source: Timber and Forestry eNews.