GROWING OUR LOW-CARBON FUTURE: TIME FOR TIMBER
International Wood Manifesto to be launched prior to COP26
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
An international wood manifesto making the case to politicians for a much greater use of wood in both construction and renovation will be launched in London on Thursday 28th October on the eve of the COP in Glasgow. The manifesto aimed at helping preventing climate breakdown is a collaboration between the European wood industries and their colleagues in Canada, the USA, New Zealand and Australia.
Commenting on the manifesto Sampsa Auvinen, Chair of CEI-Bois said, “Wood is the only sustainable structural material that grows worldwide which can enable a substantial decarbonisation of the built environment based on existing business models and proven technology; providing vast carbon sinks in our rural areas and carbon stores in our cities”.
The EOS President, Herbert Joebstl added, “A significant number of Life Cycle Assessment studies have concluded that wood is a climate-friendly alternative compared to other building materials because not only is its production less carbon-intensive but it also locks up carbon for a long time. Building with wood is one part of a sustainable forest sector growth strategy that can help the building sector reduce its carbon footprint”.
Australian Forest Products Association CEO, Ross Hampton noted, “The UN’s own science has found that timber sourced from sustainably managed forests makes the greatest impact, mitigating carbon.”
“A sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.” IPCC 4thAssessment
The Wood Manifesto launch will take place on 28th October 11:45am UK time at the Royal Institute for British Architecture as part of a broader Built Environment Summit involving Architects Declare. Internationally leading engineered timber architect Andrew Waugh will launch the Manifesto.
Further information: Paul Brannen, Director of Public Affairs, CEI-Bois & EOS +44 (0) 787 856 5406.
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THE EUROPEAN WOODWORKING INDUSTRIES
The European Woodworking Industries drive the development of a sustainable European bioeconomy and are key contributors to jobs and growth. In 2018 the production value of the sector reached closed to 240 billion EUR. The sector counts almost 180.000 companies in Europe, most of which are small and medium sized. Given the SME structure of the industry (it should be borne in mind that some countries do not take into account firms with less than 20 employees, thus the global figures tend to substantially underestimate the employment in small and medium-sized industrial sectors) the actual total number of employees in the EU-28 wood industries should be estimated at substantially more than 2.1 million in 2018.
Signatories:
CEI-Bois is the European Confederation of the Woodworking Industries. It represents 21 European and National organisations from 15 countries and is the body backing the interests of the whole industrial European wood sector. www.cei-bois.org
