environmental credentials of wood

Building professionals who care about the environment are choosing wood products for green construction – both new structures and renovations. Wood grows naturally, using solar energy; it is recyclable and renewable. Wood products need less energy to extract, process and transport, and wood buildings can require less energy to construct and operate over time.

Research shows that wood products need the least amount of energy to manufacture, and that this process has the lowest impact on air and water quality. Using wood can offset climate change since trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, and the resulting products continue to store much of this carbon for decades or even centuries.

Wood has low thermal conductivity and good insulating properties, and light wood-frame technology lends itself readily to the construction of buildings with low operating energy. It also has lower embodied energy – the energy required to extract, process and install raw materials, maintain and replace them through the life of the building.

The warm and natural attributes of a wood design generate positive feelings, and evidence suggests this can contribute to an individual's overall sense of well-being.