choose wood

The world's forests are vast carbon sinks and one of humanity's greatest assets in the fight against climate change.

That's why it may be ironic for some to imagine that cutting down trees and using wood-based products can help us in that same battle.

However, if they come from forests that have been sustainably managed, their use can do just that.

A new publication from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the occasion of the International Day of Forests explains how the use of wood products can help combat climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Currently, around 75% of consumption is based on non-renewable natural resources.

Their extraction, processing, use and disposal have a serious impact on the environment, climate and biodiversity.

Wood, on the other hand, is a renewable material.

In that sense, it stores carbon throughout its life.

For example, a kitchen table made with this raw material keeps the carbon stored inside it safely and isolated from the atmosphere.

In addition, the use of wood-based products can help avoid or reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of other products made from materials such as concrete, steel, plastics and synthetic fibers.

The construction sector, which accounts for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, is a good example of how wood can make a difference.

Materials derived from it, such as laminated plywood, have a low carbon footprint and are strong enough to build huge structures.

The tallest wooden construction in the world is in Norway and it is the Mjøstårnet building, with more than 85 meters high and 18 floors.

There is even evidence that buildings made of this raw material improve people's moods and increase productivity.

For their part, countries are taking note: Gabon is planning the construction of the country's first laminated plywood building, which has the potential to remove around 1.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a weight equal to 36 Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Last month, the Netherlands announced plans to build an entire Amsterdam neighborhood out of the material.

Forests cover 31% of the planet's land surface, which is equivalent to just over 4,000 million hectares, but globally these forest resources continue to decline

By making sure to replace building materials with wood, we could create a future where cities become carbon neutral and act as second forests for carbon storage.

The products of this raw material also offer solutions in other fields that include the textile, food, cosmetics, biochemical, bioplastic and medicine sectors.

Certain scientific innovations are pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve with wood and trees, from wound care to creating clear glass from wood.

But there is a problem: the pressure on all natural resources is increasing, and the demand for forest products in the construction, packaging and bioenergy sectors is growing.

Forests cover 31% of the planet's land surface, which is equivalent to just over 4,000 million hectares, but globally these forest resources continue to decline, largely due to agricultural expansion.

The immense natural heritage is not enough to meet the growing needs of the world population;

to deal with it we need to increase the forest area

This immense natural heritage is not enough to meet the growing needs of the world population.

To tackle it, we urgently need to increase forest area and promote more efficient and sustainable use.

This means, among other things, that we must ensure that we plant more trees as we harvest, carefully examine ecosystem integrity, and protect forests through sustainable management.

We must support and develop forest-based value chains that are inclusive and benefit communities and create jobs in countries that conserve their forests.

We need to step up the fight against deforestation and restore degraded land, as required by the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

We must invest in sustainable management and restoration to improve the use of biodiversity, and increase climate change mitigation and adaptation.

All this implies supporting institutions and actors linked to forests at all levels, from production to processing and consumer, so that they also maintain and generate employment, added value and income, which will benefit indigenous peoples, women and youth.

We must also promote sustainable production and consumption through recycling, waste reduction and cascading wood products, i.e. reusing them as many times as possible before finally burning them for energy.

Consumers can make their contribution by choosing certified forest products and with a label that proves their legal and sustainable origin.

The next United Nations report entitled

, to be launched in May at the XV World Forestry Congress, in what will be the world's largest gathering of forestry experts and forestry stakeholders, will focus in prioritizing concrete action in many of these strategies.

We must support the sustainable production and consumption of forest products for the good of people and the planet.

Ewald Rametsteiner

is Deputy Director of the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

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