The building sector accounts for up to 36% of global carbon emissions, largely because of emission intensive materials such as concrete and steel. Timber is the obvious alternative, but for it to make a difference at scale, forestry and the timber industry have to be sustainable, and that requires capital. In this video Frank Vasek sets out what he wants from the economy of the coming years.
Why the material decides the balance
Concrete and steel still determine how buildings are made, and with it the carbon footprint of the sector. Timber inverts the logic: carbon is not released during production, it stays locked in the load-bearing structure for the life of the building. For that effect to count, the whole chain has to move together, from the forest through processing to the building site.
What it takes
Sustainable forestry and timber processing are capital intensive, and that is where the conversation starts. How is the climate performance of a timber building measured, how is it financed, and how does the revenue reach the people who supply and build with the timber. Frank Vasek describes the conditions that would turn an environmental argument into an economic one.
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