Is a future of building with wood globally viable, and can it protect and restore our forests?

This was the central question explored  at "WOOD for GLOBE: Leading Pathways to Carbon Neutrality and Resilience", and the 27th Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. 

The "WOOD for GLOBE" event brought together over 400 global leaders and experts to focus on how to scale up sustainable wood pathways in the quest for carbon neutrality and resilience. The dialogue provided a platform to review the progress of sustainable wood initiatives, share scientific findings, and explore opportunities for international cooperation. We proudly contributed to Panel 1 regarding Advancing Sustainable Wood Pathways, with Maureen Whelan (International Affairs, Canadian Forest Service – Co-Chair Forest Carbon Leaders Partnership),  Veronika Juch (Coordinator of the Secretariat, European Wood Policy Platform (WoodPOP))   David Brand (International Sustainable Forestry Coalition), Kim Carstensen (Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)), Michael Berger (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)), and Paul King (Built by Nature). Paul presented the policy recommendations we co-authored with Bauhaus Earth and Built by Nature. Other topics ranged from industrial scale mass timber in urban construction to new wood fiber processing technologies, to community level forest management in the tropics. 

A key takeaway was the Wood for Globe Outcome Statement, which emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to adopt wood-based solutions across government, private and NGO sectors, and for uses including urban construction, and a wide range of products from bicycles and furniture to textiles, and packaging.

The momentum continued the following week at the 27th Session of COFO, where high-level representatives, heads of forest services, and partner organizations convened to address emerging challenges and strategies in global forestry. This session is, held every two years at the FAO headquarters. These gatherings not only foster discussions on the global supply and demand of forest products, but also highlight the critical relationship between urban centers and forests, particularly in the context of climate change and sustainability

A highlight of the week was hearing from the leader of the USA delegation, U.S Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) Chief Randy Moore, who underscored the urgent need for wood innovation and wider adoption.

His words resonated with our ongoing work on the Mass Timber Tipping Point, a USFS funded project that aligns with the global push for sustainable building materials. Mass Timber Tipping Point workshops are designed to elicit detailed insights from architecture and engineering firms who have experience working with mass timber to inform the next generation road map for increasing the role of sustainable timber in the built environment.  The next round of workshops starts again in fall 2024, and we look forward to continuing to discuss, document and summarize the insights with a public report to come in 2025. 

During the events, we observed a common perception that accessible alternatives are lacking, even when such alternatives do exist. Another evident pattern is the duplication of efforts, where many countries or regions are reinventing programs, tools, and platforms from scratch—often due to limited access to previously-developed materials. While local context and variables like forest structure play a role, much of the foundational work could (and should) be built on established, successful platforms. Doing so would not only reduce costs but also foster a culture of continuous improvement and promote a lasting spirit of global collaboration.

As we reflect on the topics at the events, one thing is clear: mutually beneficial connections between cities and forests are more vital than ever. 

Three key takeaways from the events continue to guide and inspire our work:

1. More Timber Construction (as an alternative to Building as Usual): We remain committed to promoting timber as a climate-friendly, forest-positive urban building material and transnational approach. By adding value to forests, reducing embodied carbon in urban construction, and shifting the use of wood fiber from short to long-life products, timber plays a crucial role in sustainable urban development. 

2. Tropical Forests are Vital: Tropical forests play a unique, outsized and complex role within global forest value systems. Their profound biological and social diversity demands unique technical, cultural, and market considerations to ensure their preservation and sustainable use.

3. Systemic Collaboration: Unlocking the potential of global forest-positive value systems hinges on systemic collaboration. A new framework is needed to support a radically innovative, trans-sectoral, trans-disciplinary, and transnational approach to systems change.

It was a pleasure to work alongside our partners at Wood for Globe and COFO, and we look forward to future collaborations as we co-create a sustainable future for both our cities and forests.