Södra's position regarding wood construction

Forests, a prerequisite for climate-smart construction

Forests have been helping to build our country’s prosperity for generations. With more than 50,000 family forest owners, Södra is an asset to the country’s economy, employment, vibrant rural communities and forest diversity. The raw material of family forestry is used to make wood products, building systems, paper and dissolving pulp, chemicals, energy and much more.

As we continue to refine and develop forest products for a more sustainable society, we occasionally encounter issues and challenges where we see a need for change and knowledge-sharing. In this summary, we highlight the main shifts that we believe are needed to contribute even more to the sustainable transition of the construction industry.

Why building with wood?

Using wood as a building material has a long tradition in Sweden. Of all existing small houses, 85 percent are built of wood, and multi-story buildings with wooden frames are increasing. Wood is a renewable and well-known building material produced in Sweden. It is easy to handle and process and contributes numerous climate benefits. The forest binds carbon dioxide as it grows, and wood stores carbon dioxide throughout its lifespan while replacing fossil materials and reducing production phase emissions.

In recent years, the development of multi-dwelling houses in wood has taken significant steps. Wood halves the building's climate effect and creates a warm and pleasant environment, positively impacting our health and creating a comfortable indoor climate. It is also possible to build industrially with wood, increasing productivity and material use. When large elements are built indoors in a factory, waste is reduced, the process is safer, the working environment is better, and transports are fewer. It becomes a quality-assured and efficient building process.

Building in wood enables circularity in the construction industry. Wooden buildings are easy to assemble but also to disassemble and rebuild. Beams and components can be dismantled and reused in new projects. Parts that cannot be reused can be used for other wood-based products and bioenergy.

What is needed to increase wood construction?

The construction industry's updated roadmap extends to 2045 and includes ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The goals are to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. A key part of reaching these goals is to increase the proportion of wood construction, contributing to a more sustainable construction sector. To get a fair and comprehensive picture of a building's total climate impact, the building's entire lifecycle needs consideration. Today, a building's emissions are calculated only on emissions occurring during production and construction. The carbon dioxide stored in the building throughout its lifespan is not counted and cannot be credited as a carbon sink or sold as a carbon credit.

Limits for buildings’ climate impact need to be aggressive. The proposed limits for 2025 are achievable today and do not drive toward the goals of reduced emissions in the construction industry. Climate declarations must also be harmonized within the EU and should consider the carbon dioxide stored during a building's lifetime. To increase the proportion of multi-story houses in wood and thus build more climate-smartly, the public sector needs to set better requirements in their orders. This way, the proportion of wooden buildings can increase, and the construction industry's climate footprint reduces. Wood construction has a bright future. Research on multi-story houses with wooden frames has gained momentum. For knowledge to be translated into practice in the best way, more competence and training are needed at all levels. Construction workers, building engineers, and architects need to undergo a knowledge boost about the possibilities and how best to build with wood. Here, Södra is an important player that, together with education institutions, can support the development of wood construction. We must drive the education system so that there are resources, research, and education plans to enable wood to be an obvious choice of material when constructing multi-story buildings. This is crucial for Sweden to continue being a global leader in wood construction.

Furthermore, hybrid building with various materials must be developed. No material can meet all needs, and therefore buildings with a combination of different materials may sometimes be the best solution, where different materials can collaborate to achieve the best results. A clear example of this is the collaboration between concrete and wood, where concrete may be needed as a slab and to provide support via shafts in tall buildings. By using the right materials in the right place, we can meet the unique conditions of each building.

Sustainable wood construction

It is definitely a growing trend and something we believe in and is needed because:

• Wooden buildings have a lower climate impact than comparable buildings made of steel and concrete
• Wood is a renewable building material that stores carbon dioxide throughout the building’s lifetime while replacing fossil and finite materials
• Wood enables industrial construction, which means building becomes faster, easier, and safer. It also reduces waste from the construction process.
• Wood is a lightweight material, making it superior for additions to existing houses, requiring fewer transports
• Wood creates comfort, a good indoor climate, and a good outdoor environment. It also contributes to a good working environment.
• Wood leads to shorter lead times and more efficient construction. This shortens the construction time.
• Wooden buildings are easy to assemble but also to disassemble, making wood suitable for the circular use of building materials.

What does Södra's CLT mean for sustainable wood construction?

Södra's CLT is constructed from planed lumber that is finger-jointed and glued to form layers. The layers are then cross-laid, creating a massive CLT element. This construction provides a strong and rigid building element with high dimensional stability. With the help of modern CNC technology, we achieve high precision with precisely cut building parts. We customize the elements in the factory already, with cutouts for doors, windows, and preparations for wires and piping, which means that the construction time on-site becomes much shorter.

Södra's CLT factory has a capacity of 100,000 m3 CLT per year. This enables the construction of multi-family houses, industrial premises, and public buildings such as preschools, schools, and hospitals. The location in Värö outside Varberg is strategically chosen for its proximity to several growth regions in Scandinavia, as well as for easy maritime transport to the United Kingdom and other international markets. The production is co-located with Södra's pulp mill and sawmill, where we have access to locally produced electricity and ready infrastructure. It also provides good conditions for efficient logistics and allows us to wisely utilize a larger part of the value chain.

At Södra, we have ambitious goals for our operations. Our emissions of fossil greenhouse gases are to be halved by 2030, and by 2040, the emissions of fossil greenhouse gases are to be net-zero. But for us, the journey does not end there. We strive to become climate positive. Growing trees bind carbon dioxide, and when forest raw material is refined, for example as building material, the same amount of carbon dioxide is stored throughout the product's lifespan. Sustainable building with wood from Södra is part of the solution to reduce global emissions while increasing productivity in the construction industry.

With Södra's experience of working with wood for the framework, facade, and interior, and with the understanding of the entire process from seed to construction, we can contribute to sustainable building and sustainable societal development.