2023 - How can the CO2 potential of wood be addressed and valued?
Thu, Jan 26
|Akademie der Empa
Input lectures Potential of wood on the way to the urban net zero target
Time & Location
Jan 26, 2023, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Akademie der Empa, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf
About the event
Summary
The 2023 winter conference brought together experts from forestry, the timber industry, planning, research, and the public sector to define the contribution of the forestry and timber industry to climate goals. The central question was how wood can measurably contribute to decarbonization along the entire value chain – from the forest to the building and beyond.
The discussion revealed that the building sector accounts for approximately 38% of global emissions, with the share attributable to material production growing rapidly. At the same time, material consumption in Switzerland alone generates around 31 million tons of CO₂ equivalents annually, making the materials sector crucial for achieving net-zero emissions.
The aim of the conference was therefore not only the technical optimization of timber construction, but the development of a holistic strategy for a net-zero society based on wood and circular economy principles.