Timber construction: The key to climate-friendly construction in Germany!

Timber construction: The key to climate-friendly construction in Germany!

More and more people in Germany are choosing wood as a building material, which represents an interesting turnaround in the construction industry. The choice of building material is crucial for the construction method and the use of resources. Timber construction has become more important in recent years, although it currently only accounts for a small part of construction production. Wood is becoming increasingly relevant as a building material, especially in view of challenges such as climate protection, scarcity of resources and rising construction costs. Haufe reports that the proportion of approved wooden residential buildings has increased in recent years.

To support this trend, the traffic light government initiated a timber construction initiative in 2023 under Construction Minister Klara Geywitz, which aims to promote timber construction and local raw materials. The current Construction Minister Verena Hubertz supports the use of wood in housing developments, although it remains unclear how the initiative will be continued under the future black-red coalition.

Sustainability and effectiveness of timber construction

Timber construction offers numerous advantages. Trees act as natural carbon sinks by storing CO2, which then remains trapped in the building. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to non-renewable raw materials, wood has significant substitution potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Wood construction world emphasizes that resource efficiency aims to realize a lot of function with few resources.

Further advantages of wooden construction are the high level of prefabrication, which enables modular construction with prefabricated wooden elements and thereby reduces delays and noise. In addition, the low weight of wood is advantageous, especially when adding floors to existing buildings. Visible wooden elements also create a pleasant room climate, which increases living comfort. Hybrid construction methods, in which ground floors are built conventionally and upper floors are made of wood, are also promising.

Challenges in timber construction

However, there are challenges that cannot be ignored. Experts warn about the deterioration of forests and the need for improved timber import regulations. Recycling issues and potential moisture damage are also issues that need to be addressed. The effectiveness of wooden construction also depends on factors such as the origin of the wood, longevity and recyclability.

In order to establish timber construction as a real model for the future, the timber construction initiative calls for greater consideration of wood and renewable raw materials in building construction and civil engineering. The aim of the initiative is to increase the quantity and innovation in timber construction, promote circularity and waste wood recycling and improve serial construction and renovation processes.

Forecasts for the proportion of timber construction

The Agora Energiewende predicts an increase in the proportion of wooden construction in new buildings by 2045, especially in single-family homes and apartment buildings. The following developments are expected:

Overall, timber construction is an important building block for change in the construction sector, even if it does not represent the sole solution to the challenges in the construction industry. Experts emphasize that a differentiated view of the two sides of timber construction is necessary in order to make optimal use of the potential.