Decarbonising buildings: does timber keep its edge?

Mineralisation: high potential, high costs

The analysis draws on a study by Driver et al. (2024) on mineralisation, which binds CO₂ in concrete. Depending on the process, reductions range from around 0.49 kilograms of CO₂ per kilogram of substituted product to almost zero. The technologies with the greatest potential tend to be the most expensive: carbonated lightweight aggregates avoid the most emissions but cost around 300 percent more than the conventional alternative. Cement from carbonated end-of-life cement paste is only about 9 to 12 percent more expensive. In the medium term, decarbonisation of around 20 percent at product level appears cost-competitive.

Timber and concrete combined

Timber-concrete composite floors are now common in large multi-storey projects. Major contractors such as Implenia and Erne have set up their own timber construction divisions, and Strabag has bought into timber firms such as Züblin Timber. Newer projects increasingly use solid timber or box-section floors, and building cores are more and more often made of cross-laminated timber. In 2024, a basement was built in timber for the first time. Other approaches such as biochar concrete keep biogenic carbon locked away for the long term.

Overall, the timber sector is well positioned to keep its carbon advantage in the medium term, even against lower-carbon concrete.

How Timber Carbon sees it

Timber's carbon advantage can be demonstrated building by building. Timber Carbon, launched in 2026 as a spin-off of Timber Finance, quantifies, certifies and monetises the carbon removed in mass timber buildings as carbon removal credits on the voluntary carbon market. Our Build biobased page explains how developers can get started.