Wood - The eco-balance of a raw material
Active climate protection by means of carbon dioxide storage
Every tree in the forest produces wood in the course of its lifetime. Apart from sunlight and the nutrients of the soil dissolved in water, it needs for that purpose above all carbon dioxide, CO2. Carbon dioxide, commonly known as a greenhouse gas, is largely responsible for climate change. While growing, trees are constantly extracting large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in the wood. Additionally, oxygen is produced along the way, which is all-important for animal and human life.
Using wood from sustainable forestry, which is mandatory according to German Federal Forest law (Bundeswaldgesetz), is storing the greenhouse gas CO2 in wooden products, while new trees can grow back on the same forest area. This is an important contribution
to active climate protection.
Passive climate protection by means of saving energy
When producing construction wood or wood as raw material, only a fraction of the energy is needed compared to the production of steel, aluminum, concrete or plastics and thus, considerably less CO2 is discharged in the process. In addition to its property as an “active” storage of CO2, wood is therefore also a “passive climate protector” and ecologically very much superior to the competing materials made of fossile commodities due to its inherent energy savings.
Wood does not know any problems of recycling
Even the best product will eventually reach the end of its lifespan, and even then, wooden products are especially environment-friendly. Whereas products made from fossile commodities end up as an ecological problem, when time comes for their disposal, wooden products can be used in a CO2-balanced way for ex. as fuel.