Throughout the world, wood is accepted as the most environmentally friendly and renewable building material. Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide, helping the fight against climate change, and when sustainably managed provide an infinitely renewable resource needing just light and water to grow.

 

Wood has a key role to play in delivering environmental benefits to the Games. For example, every cubic metre of wood used as a substitute for other building materials reduces CO² emissions by an average of 1.1 tonnes. When added to the 0.9 tonnes of CO2 stored due to the carbon sink effect, every cubic metre of wood used in preference to other building materials gives a net saving of 2 tonnes of CO².[1] Work currently being undertaken by Waterwise would also seem to suggest that wood also uses less water in the production process than other building materials.

 

As a construction material, wood also has the advantage of being relatively easy to handle off-site, enabling buildings to be constructed elsewhere (either in total or in part) and transported onto site. This will enhance the efficiency of on-site works during the entire construction process as space otherwise needed for construction will be released for other activities.

 

By maximising the use of wood throughout the construction, transformation and legacy phases, those involved can truly exhibit the commitment to minimising the carbon footprint of the project throughout its lifetime.

 

Using wood can also offer enormous benefits for those locations which are to be transformed after the Games have taken place. Wood provides a versatile building material, competitively-priced, which is easy to dismantle and move off-site where necessary.

 

Wood is easily re-usable if appropriate and at the end of the life-cycle wood can also be used for energy production. With plans already announced for renewable energy to be used on the site, both during the Games and thereafter, this means that wooden structures no longer required after the Games can form the raw materials for energy production in the future. With careful consideration at the planning stage this could also be used to minimise transport of feedstocks for future power generation onto the site.