Count the benefits of carbon storage

The construction sector recently launched an updated roadmap for fossil- free competitiveness. The goal remains for construction to be climate neutral by 2045 and for its climate footprint to be halved by 2030, compared with 2015 levels. But we are already capable of building with half the climate footprint, and the message from the UN IPCC is clear: to reverse the trend, we must use existing technology – now.

Building with wood is by far the fastest way to reduce climate emissions here and now. Not only is the climate impact of the production process low, but the CO² absorbed from the atmosphere as the trees grow remains stored in the wood products as carbon throughout the life cycle of the building. The carbon
stored in wood products is included as a negative item in international climate reporting for the land use sector, and the EU’s recently adopted carbon removal certification framework also includes carbon storage in long-lasting products, such as wood-based building products, with a duration of at least 35 years.

However, it is not included in the context of climate declarations. As I see it, carbon storage should obviously be included as climate declarations are extended to cover more parts of the life cycle, not least to highlight the positive climate effect of the carbon stored in wooden buildings, for example. Using buildings as carbon storage requires no additional investment and is therefore a cost-effective way to capture carbon.

Another key factor for sustainability is ensuring that the buildings we construct have as long a life as possible, and architecture is crucial in this regard: we shouldn’t prematurely demolish anything that is still both functional and beautiful. The Swedish Wood Award is a way for us to acknowledge good architecture in wood, choosing a winner every four years. In the last issue, I wrote that I was looking forward to watching the series on YouTube and following the jury’s work. Having seen all the episodes, I can report that all the exciting wood projects made for an incredibly interesting journey through Sweden! If you missed it, the series is still available on the Swedish Wood website, while on the next page you can read more about the winning entry.

Another recently concluded event is the »New Eyes on Wood« architectural competition, a collaboration between Stockholmsmässan and Swedish Wood, supported by Architects Sweden. The winning entry »Masses in motion« by Simon Viklund and Tore Lagerquist will appear at the Nordbygg construction fair in Älvsjö in April. See you there!