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.