Wood CO2ts Less
Construction and CO2
Construction Fact 1:
Wood captures and stores carbon.
References
On average, one cubic metre of timber stores 0.9 tonnes CO2.
Construction Fact 2:
Using wood instead of other materials saves CO2 emissions, both through the carbon captured in the wood product and the avoidance of alternative CO2-intensive materials.
References
Meta-analyses of the average impact of using wood instead of concrete suggest an average reduction of 2.1 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per 1 ton of wood products used.
European Commission. A sustainable Bioeconomy for Europe: strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment (p45), 2018 (withdrawn on 30th November 2021, placed by Net Zero Strategy.)
Construction Fact 3:
One of the simplest ways to capture carbon and reduce CO2 in the atmosphere is by increasing the use of wood in construction.
References
One of the simplest ways to capture carbon and reduce CO2 in the atmosphere is by increasing the use of wood in construction
Increasing the number of new homes built in the UK each year using timber frame construction systems from around 27,000-50,000 in recent years to 270,000 annually could triple the amount of carbon stored in UK homes to 3 million tonnes every year.
Construction Fact 4:
Using wood in construction is a cost-free solution to carbon capture – reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.
References
Wood-based construction methods are approximately equal in cost to alternative construction methods.