Wood industry aims to double the amount of timber used annually in the European built environment by 2050.

The European Confederation of the Woodworking Industry held its winter 2021 General Assembly on Friday 26th November 2021 in an online format. During the meeting CEI-Bois presented its Advocacy Report, a comprehensive overview of its activities undertaken in 2021.

Mr Sampsa Auvinen the Chair of CEI-Bois ended the Advocacy Report by looking to the future and noting:

“We see significant potential to increase the amount of wood used in both new build and renovation. Currently 0.5Gt of CO2 equivalent is taken out of the European forest each year in the form of sustainable timber, of which we believe approximately 15% ends up in Long Life Harvested Wood Products. CEI-Bois thinks we should be aiming to at least double this figure by 2050 so that wood can play its full role in tackling climate breakdown by making a significant contribution to decarbonising the built environment. There is a very simple way to respect the environment and to preserve it for future generations: simply by choosing wood products one reduces greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere which has great benefits for the environment.”

The Assembly was addressed by guest speaker architect Anthony Thistleton of Waugh Thistleton Associates an architectural practice based in London specialising in building in wood. Earlier this month, on the eve of the COP in Glasgow, his colleague, architect Andrew Waugh launched the GLOBAL WOOD MANIFESTO, produced by a collaboration of European, North American, Australian and New Zealand wood and forestry organisations led by CEI-Bois. The manifesto makes the case for a significant increase in the use of wood in both construction and renovation as the only sustainable structural material that grows worldwide which can enable a substantial decarbonisation of the built environment - based on existing business models and proven technology; providing vast carbon sinks in our rural areas and carbon stores in our cities.

During the General Assembly, Anthony Thistleton challenged CEI-Bois members to: ¨Accelerate the production of Cross Laminated Timber to have the capacity to drive the timber revolution. Timber is not only good for the environment timber is the way out of the climate crisis. The Woodworking Industry must work together more than ever to help deliver clear and simple messages that can correct existing misperceptions¨

The Assembly also ratified the composition of the CEI-Bois Board Members for the year ahead (the full list is available here) and welcomes a new staff member Mr Sonda.

For any additional information please contact: info@cei-bois.org

The European Confederation of Woodworking Industries represents 22 European and National organisations from 16 countries and is the body backing the interests of the whole industrial European wood sector: more than 180.000 companies generating an annual turnover of 152 billion euros and employing 1 million workers in the EU.