PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The construction sector is responsible for approximately one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with concrete alone accounting for 8% of global emissions. This highlights the urgent need to decarbonise building practices across Europe. Despite the increasing recognition of timber as a sustainable alternative, its adoption in structural applications remains limited due to technical, economic, and perceptual barriers—particularly in southern EU countries like Spain, where the market share of timber in construction is only 1.3%.
LIFE TIMBER FOR ALL addresses this challenge by promoting hybrid timber-concrete structural systems (TCC), which combine the mechanical advantages of both materials while significantly reducing the carbon footprint of buildings. The project focuses on two key innovations: the use of sustainably sourced structural timber and the development of low-carbon concrete incorporating biomass ash from forest residues. These solutions are designed to be industrialised, replicable, and accessible, supporting the EU’s climate neutrality goals for 2050.
The project is implemented in Galicia and Andalusia, two regions with contrasting levels of forest utilisation and industrial readiness. Galicia, with its advanced forest sector and political support for timber construction, serves as the innovation hub. Andalusia, with emerging initiatives and untapped forest resources, represents a strategic replication site.
Previous LIFE projects and regional initiatives have laid the groundwork for this action, including developments in digital traceability (FORTRA), carbon credit methodologies, and timber product certification. LIFE TIMBER FOR ALL builds on these efforts, aligning with EU climate policy, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the New European Bauhaus, aiming to make sustainable construction inclusive, scalable, and impactful at local, regional, and EU levels.
OBJECTIVES
The overarching goal of LIFE TIMBER FOR ALL is to decarbonise the construction sector by developing and deploying a new family of hybrid timber-concrete structural systems (called ROD-TCC), enabling sustainable, industrialised building solutions that are accessible and replicable across Europe.
To achieve this, the project has defined eight specific objectives:
OE1. Develop a low-carbon concrete for structural use by substituting 25% of cement and 20% of aggregates with biomass ash from sustainably managed forests.
OE2. Create a family of hybrid timber-concrete structural systems (called ROD-TCC) that reduce GHG emissions by 50% compared to conventional prefabricated concrete structures, while also lowering water, cement, aggregate, steel use and construction waste.
OE3. Optimise the technical performance of ROD-TCC systems to overcome barriers to timber adoption in construction, including fire resistance, acoustic insulation, and moisture behaviour.
OE4. Ensure EU-wide certification of the systems (CE marking, EAD, EPD), and develop tools for material traceability, carbon footprint calculation, and long-term carbon storage validation.
OE5. Apply the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) to product design and a demonstrative building, promoting inclusive and sustainable construction and enabling green procurement of structural timber.
OE6. Facilitate market uptake of ROD-TCC systems by addressing economic and perceptual barriers, making them a viable option for public and private developers.
OE7. Promote replication and transferability of project results across the EU, including technologies, tools, and methodologies such as low-carbon concrete, digital product passports, and NEB protocols.
OE8. Ensure effective dissemination of project outcomes to target audiences and the general public, amplifying the impact of the LIFE Programme.
RESULTS
LIFE TIMBER FOR ALL will deliver a transformative impact on climate change mitigation, sustainable construction, and circular economy practices. By the end of the project (2029), and within five years after its completion (2034), the project aims to achieve the following quantitative and tangible results:
Climate and Environmental Impact
- GHG Emissions Reduction: 160 tonnes CO₂eq by 2029, scaling to 16,256 tonnes CO₂eq by 2034.
- Carbon Sequestration: 422 tonnes CO₂ stored in structural timber by 2029, reaching 42,784 tonnes by 2034.
- Net GHG Savings: 582 tonnes CO₂eq by 2029, increasing to 59,040 tonnes by 2034.
- Material Savings:
- Cement: 145 tonnes (2029) → 14,683 tonnes (2034)
- Aggregates: 582 tonnes → 58,975 tonnes
- Steel: 16 tonnes → 1,597 tonnes
- Water: 129 m³ (manufacturing) → 13,056 m³; 16,644 m³ (total) → 1,687,441 m³
- Construction waste reduction: 1,008 m³ → 102,187 m³
Circular Economy and Resource Valorisation
- Biomass Ash Valorised: 21 tonnes → 2,125 tonnes
- Timber Use Efficiency: 878 m³ of timber saved vs CLT → 88,965 m³
Market Uptake and Economic Impact
- Built Area with ROD-TCC Systems: 3,900 m² → 395,400 m²
- Sales Revenue (ROD): €322,616 → €13.8 million
- Investments Mobilised: €3 million for new production line
- Jobs Created: 5 FTE → 30 FTE
Replicability and Transferability
- ROD-TCC Licenses: 2 → 8
- Low-carbon Concrete Licenses: 2 → 4
- Entities Using FORTRA Traceability Tool: 50 → 250
- Digital Product Passports Issued: 2 → 6
- Carbon Projects with Structural Timber: 5 → 50
- NEB Methodology Applications: 1 → 10
- Green Procurement Guide Adoption: 10 entities → 50
- Direct SFM-certified Forest Area: 4.6 ha → 473 ha
Social and Policy Impact
- Stakeholders Reached: Over 785,000 people
- Demonstration Building Constructed: 1,500 m² showcasing all project innovations
- Catalytic Effect: The project will serve as a replicable model for sustainable construction across the EU, especially in regions with untapped forest resources like Andalusia.
