Timber rising

How wood can spur Canada’s green-building drive

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This report by RBC Climate Action Institute explores how Canada can tap into its rich forestry resources to create a global market for large beams, panels and posts made of engineered wood—potentially replacing concrete and steel or dramatically cutting their use and associated emissions:

  • The building sector is the third-most carbon intensive industry in Canada, accounting for 13% of all emissions in 2022, or 92 million tonnes (MT) of CO2e
  • Mass timber deployment in new apartments, condos and office towers could cut emissions by at least 9MT, or nearly 10% of the sector’s emissions, by 2030
  • Aside from emissions savings, greater use of mass timber in building construction could conservatively grow the mass timber market by $1 billion by 2030
  • Addressing the cost of construction and occupancy insurance, and the mismatch between supply and demand, is essential for Canada to achieve emissions savings and job growth opportunities

 

Read the report

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Sources

RBC Climate Institute, Timber rising, October 30, 2023