The Promise of Mass Timber
The built environment is directly and indirectly responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. Cleaner electricity solves only part of the problem. The materials we build with are the next climate decision.
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The built environment accounts for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions—primarily from the energy buildings use and the materials required to construct them. Buildings sit at the center of the climate problem, which means the next generation of buildings can be part of the solution.
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The electrical grid is rapidly getting cleaner. As operational emissions fall, more of a building’s lifetime climate impact comes from the carbon released before it opens—putting low-carbon building materials in the spotlight.
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Operational carbon can decline as the grid improves. Upfront carbon is different: emissions from concrete, steel, and construction are released immediately and permanently, when reductions matter most.
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Mass timber can replace emissions-intensive materials while storing carbon in long-lived buildings. It complements renewable energy with a renewable, lower-carbon material that is ready to build with today.
Visual story coming nextRenewable energy.
Renewable materials.
Adapted from original work created for Oregon Department of Forestry Mass Timber.