Coming Soon: Continuing Educational Unit for Architects That Go BEYOND Sustainable!

Buildings and the construction industry are responsible for over one-third of global CO2 emissions every year - that’s double the CO2 released by all the cars, trucks, boats, planes and trains on the planet.

This is why architects and interior designers are always striving to create more sustainable projects by making choices that reduce their carbon footprint.

As A&D specifiers are about to learn with a new CEU (continuing education unit) presentation from Columbia Forest Products, any time the conversation is carbon, wood wins. And the conversation is always about carbon.

Here’s why: CO2 is the only way we have to truly measure the relative environmental impacts of different materials. “Carbon footprints” account for all the CO2 released during resource material extraction, fabrication, installation and use.

The weight of the CO2 released in the production of many of the materials used to create the built environment, like concrete, steel, glass and aluminum, is several times heavier than the materials themselves.

Wood is the only exception to this rule. Trees absorb CO2 as they grow. Fully 50% of the weight of wood is naturally captured atmospheric carbon, which remains sequestered until that wood burns or rots.

“Wood is our only climate positive building material,” says Material Intelligence president Kenn Busch, author of the new CEU. “Even after harvesting the trees, converting them into plywood, and using it for cabinetry or millwork, Columbia’s products are still storing more carbon than has been released. The more wood that’s used, the lower the carbon footprint of the entire project.”

This new CEU will soon be available for architects and interior designers searching for education units with a Health-Safety-Welfare designation throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Stand by for coming announcements.