Cities are ready to build in timber. That was our clearest takeaway from the Built by Nature Summit in Barcelona on 5 and 6 October 2026, where Elodie Vignon represented Timber Carbon as a Built by Nature Frontrunner. With the global built environment set to double by 2060 and around one billion new homes needed, every session came back to the same question: how do we scale bio-based construction fast enough?
When
5–6 October 2026
Where
Barcelona, Spain
Format
Summit
Our role
Participant as a Built by Nature Frontrunner
What stood out
- Barcelona scores public housing tenders explicitly on material choice and carbon emissions. Timber delivers faster construction and lower emissions at equivalent cost.
- The Amsterdam metropolitan region targets 7,000 new homes, 40% of them in timber, and is adapting its procurement to bio-based materials.
- A shared map of all new buildings planned over the next 20 years gives the Amsterdam market a clear signal of where timber can go.
- In a workshop hosted by Gatsby Africa, East African organisations discussed how to make timber accepted and financeable in markets where self-build dominates. We were invited to share insights on our methodology and how it can support timber buildings in the region.
Where carbon removals come in
We quantify, certify and monetise the carbon removed in mass timber buildings. When cities already weigh carbon emissions in procurement, certified carbon removals turn that climate benefit into a figure a tender can score.
Joining the policy task force
Timber Carbon is joining the new Built by Nature policy task force and looks forward to contributing there. Thanks to the Built by Nature team for an excellent event in Barcelona.
Topics
Written by
Elodie Vignon
Senior Lead Public Affairs
