Paludiculture and the Path to Net Zero
Earlier this year, Chloe (managing director) and Sam (research coordinator) had the pleasure of spending a day with Professor Darryl Newport from University of Suffolk Sustainability Institute planting reeds and Typha on the Norfolk Broads as part of a project to revitalise our local wetland farming and benefit this region of ecological significance.
Whilst thatched roofs remain the primary market for these crops, they have suffered a long-term decline in demand associated with reduced thatching, but also because well over 90% of the raw material is now sourced from overseas, mainly China. Yet they remain a fantastic example of a regenerative and short-cycle construction material—with regular renewal an accepted part of their lifecycle.
This week, Chloe had the pleasure of returning to see how the plants had fared and to promote the development and use of these types of materials within construction and beyond. It was great to network with representatives and researchers from the University of East London, Norwich University of the Arts, and the Broads Authority, alongside many other local conservation and innovation charities, to discuss the challenge of supporting habitat restoration and reigniting construction-related supply chains to advance construction practices that are both environmentally responsible and beneficial to local ecosystems.
Shaping Sustainable Construction
Last month, the new UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard was announced, following consultation with over 1,000 organisations and data provided by over 4,000 buildings.
Whilst voluntary, the Standard will provide the built environment with much-needed clarity and a consistent approach to delivering net-zero carbon buildings. It sets out operational and embodied carbon benchmarks for all major building types, based on a 1.5°C trajectory. This is a much needed initiative to align terminology and targets across the UK industry but currently stops short of recognising the huge potential value of construction stored carbon and the distinct role that biogenic and in particular short-cycle carbon capture crops can play in reducing (and even reversing) the impact of embodied and upfront carbon (which now makes up more than 50% of a buildings whole life-cycle carbon).
Earlier this week the EU also approved its long-anticipated Certification Framework for Permanent Carbon Removals. Together, these initiatives promise to have profound implications for the way we think about materials in construction with the latter paving the way for construction stored carbon credits by introducing incentives for carbon storage in products, with a 35-year minimum storage requirement —a target that natural materials, especially those made from short-cycle carbon crops like hemp, straw, reeds, and miscanthus, can easily exceed. This opens the door for our buildings to act as carbon sinks, turning construction into a powerful ally in the fight against climate change.
Embracing the use of natural building materials in construction, can actively draw down carbon while producing materials that are renewable, locally sourced, and environmentally restorative—not to mention better for the health of building occupants.
But materials alone won’t get us there. Advances in digital technology are also critical to scaling sustainable materials and practices. For example, a recent BAU article highlights how RFID tags and material passports can transform construction, enabling us to track materials throughout their lifecycle and integrate circularity into design from the start. These innovations are not just theoretical—they are being actively implemented in industrialised construction solutions like ADEPT® to ensure that materials can be easily disassembled, reused, and recycled, reducing waste and extending their value.
At Natural Building Systems, we believe the synergy between low-carbon natural materials and cutting-edge digital technology represents the future of construction. By combining regenerative materials like reed thatch, hemp, and straw with tools like RFID-enabled traceability and digital passports, we can build structures that are not only low-carbon but fully circular. Imagine a world where every element of a building is designed for disassembly and reuse—a vision that is becoming increasingly achievable thanks to these technological advances.
From Nature to Technology and the role of Innovation
Initiatives like the paludiculture project led by the Broads Authority, which aim to restore biodiverse wetland habitats while creating sustainable supply chains for local materials, shows how critical it is for innovation and new product development to drive demand for ecological restoration. By using technology and industrial design we are rethinking how we source, track, and reuse materials, we’re reconnecting construction with the natural systems and local economies it used to rely on—and this shift could not be more timely.
It’s not just about meeting net-zero targets—this is an opportunity to preserve traditional craftsmanship, reinvigorate local supply chains, and leverage digital tools to make sustainable building scalable, affordable, and accessible. From locally grown thatch to digitally optimised disassembly processes, we have the chance to transform the industry while benefiting communities and ecosystems alike.
The construction industry still has a long way to go in embedding these principles into the mainstream, but with the EU framework now in place and the UK’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard providing complementary guidance, we feel optimistic that we are on the cusp of a significant cultural and practical shift in how—and what—we build with.
Join Us to Learn More
These exciting developments will be the focus of our 5th Anniversary Webinar, where we’ll explore how regenerative materials and digital technology can work together to create a truly sustainable future for construction. It’s a chance to learn more about the work of our collaborators and innovations like material passports that are shaping a sustainable and circular economy in the built environment.
For more information and to register: Natural Building Systems Webinar.
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