Speaker
Description
Climate change mitigation requires transformative changes in high-emission sectors, particularly the construction industry, which is responsible for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions. The increasing interest in wood-based construction reflects its potential to reduce the global warming potential (GWP) of the built environment while strengthening forest-based value chains.
This paper presents a structured literature review of existing research on timber construction as a climate change mitigation strategy. Drawing on life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies, forest operations research, and industrial case analyses, the review synthesizes evidence on three primary mechanisms: (1) biogenic carbon storage in long-lived wood products, (2) substitution effects that reduce embodied emissions compared to concrete and steel, and (3) innovation in forest mechanisation and supply chain systems that improve efficiency, traceability, and adaptive capacity.
The review also examines how expanding wood-based construction can enhance the resilience of forest value chains by stimulating sustainable forest management, promoting technological modernization in harvesting and processing, and supporting rural economies. At the same time, the literature highlights critical challenges, including sustainable sourcing, biodiversity safeguards, carbon accounting uncertainties, and the need for digital integration across forest-to-building systems.
By consolidating current scientific evidence, this study positions wood-based construction as both a climate mitigation strategy and a systemic innovation capable of enabling resilient forest value chains. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions in forestry mechanisation, engineering, and sustainable forest industry development under changing climatic conditions.
| Keywords | Wood-basedconstruction; Climatechangemitigation; Forestvaluechains; Life-cycleassessment |
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