Increased use of wood in construction, when paired with sustainable forest management, offers an alternative, embedding carbon in buildings, with many under-recognised co-benefits for health, livability and the environment.
The Problem
The construction industry is responsible for an increasing amount of the world’s carbon emissions and resource use, in part due to its reliance on concrete and steel as building materials.
Increased use of wood in construction, when paired with sustainable forest management, offers an alternative, embedding carbon in buildings, with many under-recognised co-benefits for health, livability and the environment.
Despite the Nordic region being a shining example of sustainable forest management, innovative wooden design, and circular thinking in decommissioning, wood’s full potential throughout the construction value chain is still to be realised.
The Solution
The Nordic Wood in Construction Secretariat is an initiative commissioned by the Swedish Government and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2018. The secretariat is hosted by EIT Climate-KIC Nordic and supported by a pan-Nordic advisory board.
Our primary aim is to support further development of the use of wood in construction in Nordic countries, contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Local Communities) and SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
The Impact
We do this by undertaking a portfolio of projects to identify and break down barriers to using wood in construction, sharing knowledge, and increasing cooperation amongst Nordic stakeholders from the private sector, public sector, and academia.
To promote dialogue and foster knowledge exchange on the use of wood in the construction industry, we organise regular workshops for stakeholders around the Nordics, and are visible at many Nordic and international events such as the UNFCCC COP, promoting Nordic solutions and knowledge in the field.
Contact us
Feel free to email us if you have any questions about what we do or how we can work together.