Europe – As reported by Fordaq, the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI- Bois) and the European Organization of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) welcome the outcome of the trialogue discussions between the European Parliament and Council on the Carbon Removals Certification Framework.
In particular CEI-Bois and EOS welcome the wording which recognizes and endorses wood’s ability to store carbon in products in the built environment: “… temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products (such as wood-based construction) of a duration of at least 35 years and that can be monitored on-site during the entire monitoring period”.
This endorsement should help encourage a greater use of wood products by the construction industry as it endeavors to lower its carbon footprint and make its contribution to delivering the Green Deal.
It is now clear that the EU recognizes that carbon stored in wood products is indeed ‘a high- quality carbon removal’ the value of which should be recognized and deployed as part of the plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
That a wide range of timber construction and renovation products already exist and the use of timber in construction is an established practice should enable their use to be rapidly increased thereby significantly increasing the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere now and safely stored in the built environment.
Vietnam – ITTO/Fordaq recently reported that it is estimated that in January 2024 (the most recent data available at press time) Vietnam’s exports of wood and wood products (W&WP) will reach US$1.4 billion, up 5 percent compared to December 2023 and up 75 percent compared to January 2023. In particular, the export of wood products is estimated at US$924 million, down 3 percent compared to December 2023 but up 87 percent compared to January 2023.
In January 2024, wooden furniture exports were valued at US$884 million, up 5 percent compared to December 2023 and double that in January 2023.
W&WP exports to the EU market in January 2024 earned about US$63 million, down 6 percent compared to December 2023 but up 5 percent compared to January 2023.
W&WP exports to the U.S. in January 2024 earned US$781 million, up 5 percent compared to December 2023 and up 15 percent compared to January 2023.
Pine imports in December 2023 were at 45,900 cubic meters worth US$10.5 million, down 37 percent in volume and 35 percent in value compared to November 2023. However, compared to December 2022, imports increased by 21 percent in volume and 13 percent in value.
Overall in 2023, Pine imports reached 705,400 cubic meters, worth US$155.0 million, down 24 percent in volume and 39 percent in value compared to 2022.
Vietnam’s imports of Poplar wood in December 2023 were recorded at 2,900 cubic meters, worth US$10.3 million, down 0.7 percent in volume and 10 percent in value compared to November 2023. Compared to December 2022 imports rose by 39 percent in volume and 29 percent in value.
Overall, in 2023, Poplar imports totalled 323,700 cubic meters, worth US$130.6 million, down 12 percent in volume and 27 percent in value compared to 2022.
In 2023 imports of logs and sawnwood from the U.S. reached 522,010 cubic meters at a value of US$223.62 million, down 24 percent in volume and 32 percent in value compared to 2022.
Imports of logs and sawnwood from Africa in December 2023 amounted to 45,020 cubic meters, at a value of US$17.47 million, down 30 percent in both volume and value compared to November 2023 and down 69 percent in volume and 67 percent in value compared to December 2022.
Overall, in 2023, imports of raw wood from Africa were 720,060 cubic meters, at a value of US$281.81 million, down 46 percent in volume and 43 percent in value compared to 2022.
United Kingdom –Timber Development UK (TDUK) – the UK’s trade association for the timber supply chain – has released average carbon data for the 10 major timber product categories.
TDUK’s new independently verified Embodied Carbon Data for Timber Products calculates weighted average A1-A4 embodied carbon data for common timber products such as softwood, engineered timber and panel products, including and excluding sequestered carbon.
More than 80 EPDs were reviewed in this comprehensive new paper.
A1-A4 data is provided for 10 major timber products which means the EPD Database can be used to calculate the carbon impact of more than 95 percent of timber consumed in the UK.
The A1-A3 data draws only from EPDs for products available in the UK, with the data weighted based on country of origin.
“If we are to achieve national and international targets to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we need to measure, understand and significantly reduce the embodied carbon within the buildings and infrastructure we construct,” said Charlie Law, sustainability director, TDUK.
EPDs, he added, were key for specifiers to design low-carbon assets, helping them accurately assess the impact of their designs and material selections.
“Robust data is essential for reducing the carbon impact of construction, allowing specifiers to make informed decisions. We will be updating these figures every year as more data becomes available.”
Germany – The German Wood Congress will take place on November 20-21, 2024 in the Alte Federnfabrik on the Böhler site in Düsseldorf. With the large industry meeting, the German Sawmill and Wood Industry Association (DeSH) is bringing together the leading players from forests and wood for the fourth time to exchange ideas with guests from business, science and politics as well as numerous specialist exhibitors about current developments and the future of the wood industry .
“Over the last three years, the German Wood Congress has developed into one of the most important industry meetings for the sawmill and wood industry and representatives of the forest and wood value chain. From the very beginning, our aim was to create a diverse platform for participants, exhibitors and guests, on which, in addition to technical and economic exchanges, there was also space for exchange on political and social topics,” explained DeSH general manager Lars Schmidt. “We want to continue this success with a mixture of lectures, panel discussions, trade exhibitions and network meetings and are inviting you to the German Wood Congress 2024 in Düsseldorf.
“In order to address the topics and concerns of the industry nationwide and to represent the wood industry in all its diversity, we focus on regional topics in addition to national and international topics with changing venues,” explained Schmidt. “We are therefore pleased to be in Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, in a federal state that can look back on a long tradition of sustainable wood use and at the same time focus on the current challenges and potential of forests and wood.
The year 2024 will bring numerous changes. There is therefore a lot of need for discussion in the industry economically and politically. Collaboration and exchange along the value chain are becoming increasingly important. The German Wood Congress offers an optimal framework to discuss current developments and take a look into the future together.”
