Environmental Footprint

Logging operations, Central Interior, B.C.

Living, regenerating forests sequester more carbon per unit area than almost any other type of land cover.  A responsibly managed forest stores more carbon than it emits from harvesting, processing, transport and fabrication. But wood’s carbon storage goes beyond the forest.

International scientific studies have shown time and again that using wood products from sustainably managed forests rather than non-wood building products, results in a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Less than half of 1% of Canada’s managed forests is logged in any year, and areas that are harvested are reforested, beginning the cycle of carbon absorption and storage over again.

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Did you know?
A growing tree removes more carbon from the atmosphere. As a result, wood products are not just carbon neutral, they’re carbon negative.

U.S. WoodWorks Carbon CalculatorA tool that helps quantify the benefits of using wood in non-residential buildings including carbon stored in the wood and avoided greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tool calculates how much carbon trees sequester.
Biomass Calculator Natural Resources Canada tool calculates how much carbon is stored in trees.
A Natural Choice CEU (Part 3 of 3)This CEU documents accepted definitions of sustainability, discusses ways in which wood contributes to sustainable design, explains the trends behind the increased use of wood as an environmentally sound building material and evaluates the impact of building rating systems and codes on environmentally sound design.
Materials in Action CEU (Part 2 of 3)This CEU addresses the differences between wood, steel, and concrete in terms of basic material properties, as well as their performance during the building operations phase. Also discussed are end of life treatment, including the impacts of recycling versus reuse.
Materials Matter CEU (Part 1 of 3) This CEU explores the environmental footprint of wood, concrete, and steel in building construction.
Is Buying Local Good?This AIA Cornerstone article discusses how the choice of materials can either contribute to or offset the environmental impacts of transportation.
Wood and Carbon FootprintThis U.S. WoodWorks publication discusses wood helps reduce carbon footprint.
reTHINK WOODInformation on life cycle assessement (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).