Sustainably produced timber

Wood as an environmentally-friendly material

Wood is a renewable resource. A tree absorbs CO₂ during its lifetime. When the tree is chopped, space is created for a new tree. A tree in our climatic zone absorbs about 24 kg of CO₂ annually.

Wood is also biodegradable easy to recycle. Anyone using local wood varieties (as construction product for instance) immediately reduces the levels of CO₂emissions caused by transporting it. Choosing sustainable wood means taking things one step further, while contributing to sustainable forest managementand therefore to the sustainable development of our planet. No bad thing for our generation and certainly future generations.

How can you recognise sustainable wood?

The production of sustainable wood depends on a fine balance between economic, ecological and social aspects. The word 'sustainable' relates to the origin of the timber and the manner in which it is produced, and does not relate to the technical characteristics of the timber. These depend on the type of tree, among other things.

Consumers can recognise it from its identification label, which means that it has undergone a certification process: labelled wood thus meets certain standards and the production chain has been officially checked or certified by an independent assessor. There are at present two labels for sustainable wood prevalent on the market: FSC and PEFC.

Labelling therefore makes it easier for consumers to make a choice. At the same time, the process serves to encourage forest owners all over the world to manage their property sustainably.