Environmental trade-offs for decarbonised buildings

As energy efficiency increases and fossil-free energy sources are used for heating and electricity supply in buildings, the embedded emissions from the production of building materials and the construction process itself have come to account for the majority of the real estate sector’s climate impact.

Research shows that building with wood can reduce the climate impact of individual buildings and the entire real estate sector. However, increased focus on wooden construction may lead to higher timber extraction from forestry, with negative consequences for biodiversity.

This interdisciplinary project in energy systems, forestry science, and political science aims to synthesize current scientific knowledge about potential environmental goal conflicts for low-carbon buildings, as well as policy instruments for how these can be managed.

The knowledge that is synthesized within the project will benefit both researchers and policymakers in politics and the financial sector, where the latter will decide how the green transition should be financed.