Cooperating on mass timber: How bio-based construction can build a greener future

The built environment accounts for approximately 35-40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with embodied carbon—emissions from construction—representing about half of that total. Around 60-70% of these embodied emissions originate from the structural frameworks of urban buildings. The document advocates for replacing conventional materials like concrete and steel with bio-based alternatives such as timber and bamboo, which can act as carbon sinks if managed sustainably. To address the complexity of sourcing and varying scientific data on emissions, the author proposes the establishment of a global Forest-Positive Buildings Resource Platform to be advocated for at the UN Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris.

• The built environment is responsible for roughly 35-40% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and embodied carbon—the emissions from construction rather than operation—makes up about half of these building-related emissions.
• Structural frameworks of urban buildings, including steel beams, reinforced concrete foundations, slabs, and elevator cores, account for approximately 60-70% of embodied emissions.
• Bio-based materials like timber, bamboo, and date palm leaves can displace most emissions from urban structural frames, though their impact varies; the worst-case scenario for whole-life carbon is nearly equal to concrete and steel, while the best-managed materials create carbon sinks that store more carbon dioxide than is emitted during production.
• The author proposes the co-creation of a global Forest-Positive Buildings Resource Platform to be advocated for at the UN Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris on 7-8 March to manage the complexity of sourcing and production systems.
• Recommended actions for policy and industry leaders to support bio-based construction include reforming building codes, conducting national building carbon footprint and forest inventory analyses, appointing carbon accounting experts in building departments, and funding pilot programs for public low-carbon buildings.

APA

Francisco, S. (2024). Cooperating on mass timber: How bio-based construction can build a greener future. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/timber-bio-based-construction/

Chicago

Francisco, Scott. Cooperating on mass timber: How bio-based construction can build a greener future. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/timber-bio-based-construction/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Francisco |first1=Scott |title=Cooperating on mass timber: How bio-based construction can build a greener future |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=6 March 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/timber-bio-based-construction/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{francisco2024cooperating, author = {Francisco, Scott}, title = {{Cooperating on mass timber: How bio-based construction can build a greener future}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/timber-bio-based-construction/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }