Wooden construction for CO2 reduction in the building sector

Background

At the request of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the EESC is drawing up an exploratory opinion on the benefits of modern industrial wooden construction. The question is how EU proposals such as sustainable carbon cycles, the EU's bioeconomy strategy and the New European Bauhaus can be used to drastically reduce the large construction-related CO2 emissions, store CO2 and make construction more efficient.

Key points

• An increase in the use of sustainable wood in construction, especially in public buildings, is essential to reduce carbon emissions and must be promoted through active and sustainable forest management in the EU.
• Quality-based procurement procedures, allowing innovative solutions as well as including sustainability and life-cycle criteria, are a prerequisite for achieving climate objectives and promoting timber construction.
• It is key to establish minimum standards for life-cycle carbon emissions from buildings and for the corresponding carbon reporting requirement across the construction sector.
• Barriers to timber construction arising from formal, legal and technical requirements should be scrutinised as to their necessity with respect to planning quality.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/794

Opinion type: Exploratory opinion Presidency

Rapporteur: Rudolf Kolbe (Civil Society Organisations - Group III / Austria)

Co-rapporteur: Sam Hägglund (Workers - Group II / Sweden)

Date of adoption by section: 7 March 2023

Result of the vote: 65 in favour, 0 against, 3 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 22-23 March 2023

Result of the vote: 153 in favour, 2 against, 4 abstentions

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