Building with Natural Fibres: The Future of Low-Carbon Construction in the UK
The built environment is responsible for a staggering 42% of annual global CO₂ emissions. Of this, 27% stems from operating buildings, while 15% comes from the materials and construction—commonly referred to as the embodied carbon footprint. Over the next 15 years, globally, an area equivalent to the entire building stock of the Western Hemisphere will be redesigned, reshaped, and rebuilt. The decisions we make about design and materials today will dictate whether the future of our planet is manageable—or catastrophic.
The UK is uniquely positioned to seize this opportunity. By scaling up locally grown biobased building materials, the country can transition to a more sustainable infrastructure, creating greener buildings and new economic opportunities across the supply chain.
Government Action Driving Sustainability
In response to the climate crisis, the UK Government has taken decisive action. The Construction Playbook of 2020 tightened sustainability requirements for the industry, followed by the Net Zero Estate Playbook targeting the public estate. Together, these initiatives aim to drive the adoption of greener building materials and decarbonise Britain’s largest property portfolio.
The Rise of Natural Fibre Construction
A keystone solution to achieving net zero—and even net negative—targets in construction is the increased use of UK grown natural fibres, such as industrial hemp and miscanthus.
Natural fibre crops offer viable alternative options for farmers, while delivering carbon capture within the materials themselves. By displacing fossil-intensive materials, enhancing energy efficiency, and improving soil carbon sequestration, these crops provide significant climate benefits. Moreover, the industry is creating green jobs and supporting local economies.
Expanding Primary Processing Capabilities
Before natural fibres can be used in construction, they must undergo primary processing—breaking down retted stems into fibres and woody shiv. In East Yorkshire, East Yorkshire Hemp (EYH) has been processing UK-grown flax and hemp since 2002, supplying fibres for products like IndiNature insulation and Natural Building System (NBS) panels.
Recently, UK Hempcrete and Unyte Hemp, partners of the CHCx3 project, have obtained licenses to manufacture commercial hemp products. They are establishing primary processing facilities across the UK to separate fibre and shiv for various production streams. Once fully operational, these facilities could sequester 220,000 tonnes of carbon per year, producing:
5 million Hempcrete blocks
10,600 houses worth of fibre insulation
4,000 tonnes of HempWood flooring
6,000 tonnes of biochar
Nature’s Solution to Energy Efficiency
Hempcrete is a mixture of woody hemp shiv and a binder like lime, used as a wall material. It is available as preformed bricks, such as Isohemp hemp blocks from UK Hempcrete and Hemspan Bio Blocks, and can also be applied on-site as spray insulation.
The UK already has thousands of hemp buildings, including:
The M&S flagship sustainable store at Cheshire Oaks, awarded a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, the RIBA Sustainability Award, and BCSC Gold Award for Sustainability
The University of Bradford Sustainable Enterprise Centre, the tallest hemp building in the UK
These examples demonstrate the thermal regulation properties of hempcrete—cool in summer, warm in winter, maintaining a steady 16–18°C year-round without energy-intensive heating or air conditioning. Hempcrete also improves indoor air quality, offering a healthier environment for occupants.
Superior Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is crucial for respiratory health, allergy prevention, and cognitive function. Manufacturers of natural fibre products aim to eliminate synthetic materials and harmful chemicals.
Bristol-based Adaptavate has developed carbon-negative plasterboard alternatives. Their Breathaboard products feature:
Enhanced thermal performance
Reduced risk of mould
Compostable materials
These innovations have attracted investment from Semin and OnePlanetCapital, highlighting the growing market potential for natural fibre interiors.
Modular Construction and Rapid Deployment
Modular construction is a £5.6 billion market in the UK, projected to grow 6% annually to £7.6 billion by 2029. Prefabricated thermal envelopes using biobased fibres such as hemp, miscanthus, and willow are emerging as solutions for low-carbon housing.
Natural Building Systems (NBS) produces modular panels with standardised, repeatable elements, combining material efficiency with affordability and speed of construction. NBS also offers a traceability system to track materials back to the field they were grown in.
GreenCore Homes has developed hemp fibre-based external wall panels, locking up over 30kg CO₂e per square metre, supported by a £30m investment from M&G.
Hemspan’s Biohaus® system provides whole-house panellised construction, aiming for net negative carbon of -250kgCO₂e/m².
Retrofitting and Insulation for a Greener Future
The UK Government’s £1 billion Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), launched in September 2023, funds the installation of insulation in over 300,000 homes. Local councils also provide retrofit grants, creating a steady 4% growth in the insulation market.
Companies like IndiNature are producing biobased natural fibre insulation with thermal, acoustic, and moisture-buffering properties. Their IndiTherm and IndiBreathe insulation batts are the first UK-grown and made products to achieve BBA certification, making them eligible for Trustmark projects and GBIS funding. IndiNature has also developed IndiSilence, Quiet Mark-certified acoustic insulation, enhancing their bio-based product range.
Other suppliers include:
GRWN Group: GRWNwarm 85% natural fibre insulation slabs available in B&Q
Kingspan: Launching the HemKor range, with up to 95% biobased content
Conclusion
The shift towards UK-grown natural fibre construction materials offers a tangible, multi-faceted solution to decarbonising the built environment. From primary processing to modular construction, from superior insulation to improved indoor air quality, the industry is proving that natural fibre buildings are not just sustainable—they’re scalable, economically viable, and climate positive.
As the UK expands its green building supply chains, harnessing local crops like hemp and miscanthus, the country is setting a global standard for low-carbon, resilient, and healthy housing. The future of construction is growing—literally—from the ground up.
Learn More about biomaterials processing, the benefits of building and using biomaterial sand the different market places Here
