Building with timber can deliver the province of Utrecht an emission reduction of 1,120 kton CO₂-eq per year by 2030, plus 270 kton of carbon sequestration. That makes it the single largest climate opportunity in the Utrecht assessment.
What it is
Timber is one of the oldest building materials and is on the rise again, including in high-rise construction with large beams, modules and panels. Laminated timber can replace steel. Trees capture carbon as they grow; dry wood is about 50% carbon, which stays stored as long as the wood is in use. Producing timber materials releases fewer greenhouse gases than other building materials, and prefabrication speeds up construction while reducing waste, noise and site traffic. Sustainable forest management is essential for the optimal climate benefit.
Potential in Utrecht
The total addressable market is the construction of 100,000 homes in 2020–2030. The calculation uses an average benefit of 59 tonnes CO₂-eq per timber home (NIBE 2019, supplemented with sequestration figures from the ONCRA tool). The plausible scenario (20% timber, about 2,000 homes) yields 450 kton reduction plus 110 kton sequestration; the ambitious scenario (50%, about 5,000 homes) reaches 1,120 kton reduction plus 270 kton sequestration. Timber construction takes priority over cement alternatives where both share the same building task.
Co-benefits
Through its moisture- and heat-regulating properties, timber provides a healthy, comfortable indoor climate and good acoustics. Parts of a timber building can later be reused, composted or used as fuel, and prefabrication lowers costs, waste and disruption.
Provincial policy
Timber construction receives special attention from the province of Utrecht, in connection with the tasks of Housing Acceleration, Circular Economy, Climate Adaptation, Healthy Living Environment and strategic forest policy. The City Deal on Circular and Conceptual Construction (2021) underlines the potential of more biobased building in the province.
In practice
The Moxy Hotel Utrecht (JHK Architecten) is built from timber room modules on a concrete substructure, which limited the construction period and disruption. In the Monicahof, Studio Ramin Visch built a small apartment block of timber in just three months: all elements were prepared in a production hall and assembled on site as a ‘flatpack’, with considerably lower CO₂ emissions during construction.
Frequently asked questions
How much CO₂ can building with timber save in Utrecht?
According to this assessment, up to 1,120 kton CO₂-eq reduction plus 270 kton sequestration per year by 2030 (ambitious scenario), or 450 kton reduction plus 110 kton sequestration in the plausible scenario.
Why is timber climate-positive?
Dry wood is about 50% carbon, which stays stored as long as the wood is in use; production also releases fewer greenhouse gases than concrete or steel.
Is timber high-rise fire-safe?
The notion that timber and high-rise do not mix is increasingly refuted by growing knowledge; modern timber construction combines safety with fast, clean building.
Source: Preliminary Climate Solutions Assessment for the province of Utrecht (Drawdown Europe & New Economy, 2021), based on the Project Drawdown methodology. Part of the sector-based climate action plan for the province of Utrecht.