25.5.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 184/25
1.6.
The use of wood in the construction sector reinforces the view of the anti-seismic behaviour of wood as it was manifested in certain cases such as the earthquake in Alaska in 1964.
The EESC believes that people living in earthquake-prone areas should be encouraged to use wood as a building material.
2.
General comments 2.1.
This opinion complements the general comments made in opinion TEN/794 on Wooden construction for CO2 reduction in the building sector.
2.2.
The construction sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and thus an important factor in terms of damage to the climate.
The emissions come mainly from the use of fossil fuels for the production of heat and electricity in buildings, and from the production of building materials.
There is a real need for measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector, e.g. by using renewable energies, improving the energy performance of buildings, and using sustainable building materials (3).
2.3.
The EESC highlights that, in order to increase the importance of sustainably produced wood as a building material in the construction industry, the need for sustainable forest management for the production of wood as a raw material should be emphasised.
Sustainable forest management involves managing and using forests in such a way that they are not only environmentally, but also economically and socially, sustainable.
This means that forests are preserved for both current and future generations, and that natural resources are used responsibly.
One important element of sustainable forest management is preserving forests’ biodiversity and ecosystem services.
It is also important to reduce forests’ vulnerability to natural disruptions such as forest fires and insect infestations.
2.4.
From a technical point of view, timber construction requires the input of much less ‘grey energy’ than other building materials such as concrete.
Grey energy is the energy used to produce, transport, store and recycle products; reducing it means using less energy for these processes, leading to lower carbon emissions and more sustainable energy consumption, and can also help to improve the competitiveness of businesses.
2.5.
The EESC notes that legislation sometimes hinders the development of timber construction by restricting the use of wood as a building material or by imposing certain rules and standards that are difficult or expensive to implement in timber construction.
One example of this is the height limit that some countries impose for wooden buildings; this may limit the possibilities for timber construction and hinder the development of innovative wooden structures.
When it comes to fire protection of buildings, it is unacceptable that wood is subject to different performance rules from other materials.
The EESC advocates homogenising the rules at European level, regardless of the material.
2.6.
Timber construction can make an important contribution to developing a more circular economy and in particular to the objective of a more bio-based economy, as set out in the relevant EU policies.
The applications and material properties of wood and wood-based products need to be further developed in this regard.
In particular, the recyclability of wood products plays an essential role in this connection, but combinations of wood with other materials will also become increasingly important.
Action, coordinated and supported at European level, to promote research cooperation in the fields of material properties and composite materials can play an important role here and stimulate innovation.
2.7.
The transformation of our industries towards the concept of Industry 5.0 has a social foundation, but also a strong technical side.
Digitalisation (building information modelling), robotisation and machine learning (artificial intelligence) will transform the entire value chain, from forestry to construction, maintenance and recycling.
This requires a legal framework with regard to general product requirements, requirements for construction products and standardisation.
They need to be coordinated in the field of timber construction.
In line with the social objectives outlined for Industry 5.0, technological developments and work organisation concepts should follow a human-centred approach to technology design.
It will also be important to systematically consider the potential positive or negative effects for a healthy working and living environment, from the very first step of technological development.
(3)
See Kreislaufwirtschaft für die Dekarbonisierung des EU-Bausektors — Modellierung ausgewählter Stoffströme und Treibhausgasemissionen [The circular economy and decarbonisation of the EU construction sector — modelling selected material flows and greenhouse gas emissions].
Meta Thurid Lotz, Andrea Herbst, Matthias Rehfeldt.