Is Mass Timber Construction Really Renewable and Sustainable?

This article from Treehugger by Lloyd Alter explains a 2019 study examining the viability of Mass Timber Construction. A new guide to North American Mass Timber by the Forest Business Network shows that North American forests are growing more wood than is being harvested, indicating that an increased demand for timber will not lead to deforestation. The data shows that the use of wood products in construction provides an economic incentive to protect forests from being converted to non-forested uses. Additionally, wood products can replace many products that are more heavily dependent on fossil sources, so they can help reduce fossil fuel use and significantly slow the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The guide also discusses the carbon sequestration properties of wood. When trees are chopped down and turned into mass timber, the carbon is stored in the buildings, so it does not return to the atmosphere for decades. The authors conclude that mass timber, in combination with a variety of other wood products, can replace many products currently derived from sources that are more heavily dependent on fossil sources and can be the foundation for a more sustainable, low-carbon society.