Page 25 - Green knowledge 2025

Photo: Kathrine Torday Gulden
Underutilised wood makes buildings greener
NIBIO is part of WoodStock that aims to develop climatesmart solutions for increasing the
use of underutilised wood resources in Europe.
The construction sector accounts for around 40 per-
cent of global CO₂ emissions and consumes large
amounts of nonrenewable resources. Traditional
materials such as concrete and steel have a substan-
tial climate footprint, whereas wood is renewable
and stores carbon throughout its lifetime.
Despite this, wood is still rarely used as a building
material in large parts of Europe, and both practices
and regulations vary between countries. Resources
such as broadleaved species and post-consumer
wood are examples of materials that remain largely
untapped.
To address this, NIBIO participates in the EU project
WoodStock, a fouryear initiative launched in 2024 to
boost the use of wood in construction and support a
more circular economy. The project is linked to the
European Commission’s New European Bauhaus
initiative for a greener built environment.
A key part of the project takes place in six “Living
Labs” across Europe, where research and innovation
are tested in real-life settings. The Norwegian lab is
in Trondheim, with NTNU as the main partner.
“Here, researchers, industry, authorities and citizens
work together on climatesmart ways to increase
wood use in construction,” says Lone Ross, acting
division director at NIBIO.
The solutions will later be scaled up for use in differ-
ent regions. Researchers will also study how coun-
tries use forest and wood resources and develop
models showing the potential for greater use of wood
in buildings.
“The project gives Norway a unique opportunity to
help shape future climatesmart construction meth-
ods,” says Ross.
“We will also learn a great deal from the experiences
gathered in other European countries.”
Purpose: To develop knowledge and practical solutions that increase the use of wood in European buildings,
helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a circular economy.
Collaboration: Ghent University (Belgium), Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Aalto University (Finland),
University of Bordeaux (France), Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU (Norway),
University of Galway (Ireland), Lodz University of Technology (Poland), University of Primorska
(Slovenia), InnoRenew CoE (Slovenia), InnovaWood (EU), CEIBois (EU), WETA (Belgium)
Funding: Horizon Europe (EU)
Contact: Director Lone Ross, Division of Forest and Forest Resources.
Email: lone.ross@nibio.no | Phone: +47 911 97 268
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