PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The transport sector, especially road and air, is the third largest contributor to climate change globally. Increasingly globalized, transport is responsible for more than 20% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, with its share expected to increase, particularly the movement of goods. Longer distances and increasing freight volumes are forecast.
Only wood of short distances in the chain of custody (CoC) can be considered climate friendly. Although the increased use of wood and other renewable raw materials is generally regarded as making a positive contribution to climate protection, it only applies to durable applications. The wood products market has also become global, despite sufficient amounts of wood being regionally available.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the LIFE climate value chains project is to reduce the level of transportation of timber by promoting local supply chains. It will promote the existing climate label along with monitoring instrument Holz von Hier (HVH) as a best practice for the main target groups: public authorities, town planners, transport companies and wood processing companies. The HVH label is managed by the coordinating beneficiary.
Specifically, the project will aim to:
- Shift supply chains in the timber sector of the participating countries towards a reduction of material flows to reduce carbon emissions through implementation of monitoring and assessment tools within these chains from cradle to customer. Climate friendly value chains will be established in the main product groups in all participating regions and countries;
- Raise awareness among planners and architects as important influencers on the choice of construction materials and their environmental impact. Architects shall be motivated and convinced to increasingly use wood and other renewable materials, and to put an emphasis on products from short distance supply chains with a very low carbon footprints.
- Integrate grey energy (primary energy required for the construction of a building) into the area of green public procurement. Decision-makers and authorities at regional, national and European level should be reached and involved (e.g. in local advisory boards), to raise awareness of the significance traffic-related emissions for the overall footprint of materials, products and buildings; and
- Raise awareness of consumers and the general public on the influence of material flows on climate change, the need to change behavior and the opportunities for doing so.
The project contributes to the implementation of the New Circular Economy Action Plan in the sector ‘Construction and buildings’ by reducing climate impacts through the use of local/regional construction materials. It is also in line with the Green Public Procurement (GPP) policy to promote short distances in the value chains and origin of products. At the national level, the beneficiaries promote the recognition of the climate label and monitoring instrument, HVH, as a best practice.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Planners – around 20 000 architects in the five countries informed about the project-related environmental problems through the applicant's and partners network, while at least 400 architects indicate that they will implement the instruments and guidelines in their further planning and projects.
- Municipalities, local authorities – around 3 000 local and regional authorities are provided with information on the possibilities of using climate-friendly building products in procurement, with around 300 expressing interest in using the tools in their construction and procurement projects and 100 translating them into concrete projects within two to three years.
- Companies – around 20 000 companies in the wood products and construction sector informed about the demand for climate-friendly building and procurement and the possibilities to improve climate efficiency by shortening their processing chains, with at least 300 deciding at the end of the project to implement the project results and instruments in their daily practice
Short-term environmental impacts:
- Reduction in carbon emissions by 30 000 tonnes per year, due to the regional closure of processing chains as a result of changes in the behaviour; and
- 50% increase in the share of renewable building materials in buildings and projects of the respective actors.
Long-term environmental effects:
- A significant reduction of CO2 emissions in an important socio-economic sector in the target countries via the closure of cycles in the processing chains of traditional wood products (CO2 reduction potential of 2.64m tonnes a year compared to the current annual savings from the entire European Green Building Programme of 22 000 t and the European Green Light Programme of 130 000 t. If just 5% of the sector switches to climate-friendly processing chains, annual CO2 emission saving of 125 000 t could be avoided in the participating countries.
