Brief
Explore the challenges facing the European Union’s construction industry as it seeks a greener future, weighing the pros and cons of timber and traditional materials like concrete in achieving climate neutrality.
Insight
The European Union’s construction industry faces a dilemma in transitioning to a climate-neutral ecosystem, with concerns that organic alternatives receive disproportionate support. The sector employs approximately 25 million people and generates an added value of €1,158 billion annually.
However, construction is accountable for 50% of material use, 35% of waste, and one-third of the EU’s total CO2 emissions. In March, the Commission presented its “transition pathway for the construction ecosystem” to promote digital and green transformation.
The possibility of being replaced by wood-based materials has caused worry within the traditional mineral construction product industry, which contributes to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cement, a widely used construction material, is the second most consumed product after water, but its production damages the climate.
The EU-backed Intelligent Cities Challenge initiative aims to spread best building practices, including Amsterdam’s mandate that new housing projects must contain 20% timber. A European Commission-funded study explores the potential of full timber structures in new construction.
However, six EU industry associations commissioned a separate study which found that the impact of using forest products in construction is “relatively limited.” The study also questioned the ability of wood-based construction to act as secure carbon storage, stating that sustainable forestry and reforestation are prerequisites.
Nature advocates argue that logging activities are unsustainable. Sustainable construction researcher Katharina Blümke suggests that building with wood is not the sole solution. Fellow researcher Elena Boerman adds that concrete is still necessary in construction.
One method to enhance concrete’s green credentials is through “real concrete recycling,” although it is challenging and largely deemed unfit for real-world application.
The cement industry promotes carbonation, a process where concrete absorbs CO2 from the air, as a climate solution. However, the cement sector has spent decades trying to reduce carbonation as it degrades concrete. As lobbying in Brussels intensifies, a final decision on future construction materials remains elusive.
Highlight
- The sector employs approximately 25 million people and generates an added value of €1,158 billion annually
- However, construction is accountable for 50% of material use, 35% of waste, and one-third of the EU’s total CO2 emissions.
- Boerman adds that concrete is still necessary in construction. One method to enhance concrete’s green credentials is through “real concrete recycling.
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