Timber as a Climate Solution - with Paul Brannen

Today I’m joined by Paul Brannen, Director of Public Affairs at the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries & The European Organisation of Sawmill Industry AND author of a recent book, Timber! How wood can save the world from climate breakdown. In our conversation, Paul digs into the details surrounding the climate benefit of building with wood. We compare the carbon footprints of wood, concrete and steel (did you know that concrete is responsible for 8% of global emissions)! We talk about the cost savings of using wood in the built environment. We explain that despite the financial and climate merits, and supportive regulatory environment – the building sector still suffers from convention and doing things the way they’ve always been done. We discuss the importance of circularity in using wood in construction, and finally – how investors can support the whole value chain for enhanced climate and financial benefit.QuoteAnd the interesting emerging area here for the investor is, while there have been some carbon credit available for a considerable time in relation to carbon stored in the forest, generated by new planting, there will also be carbon credits come in, which will go with the carbon stored in the build environments, the the continuation of the storage from the forests into the build environment.Important linksPaul Brannen on LinkedInBook: Timber! How wood can save the world from climate breakdownThe European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-BOIS)Favorite tree: Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)Production teamHost: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLinkProducer and editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted CreativesDetails:02:06Paul’s background05:38The reason behind writing the book 09:39Development of using wood/timber in building homes and construction of bigger buildings16:12Roadblocks to progress21:11Comparison between wood/timber, concrete, and steel re. durability23:44Evidence about carbon footprint between wood vs concrete vs steel30:42Is there a case when wood is not the most sustainable option?37:34Case for sustainable forest management43:53How can we communicate the importance of investing in sustainable forest production 50:56A possibly circular process56:46Actionable advice57:06Contact detailsSound libraryNature by MaxKoMusic/SoundcloudSopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/SoundcloudSign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.