New initiative aims to reduce the climate impact of building materials

A new initiative focused on the construction and real estate sector aims to help reduce climate emissions from building materials. The initiative is led by Sustainable Innovation, which seeks to bring together clients to collectively drive progress toward more climate-smart material choices.

The initiative was presented during the Wood Construction Days in Gothenburg in 2026 and is still in its early stages. The idea is for industry stakeholders to collaborate in order to establish clearer and more consistent requirements in procurement processes—a move that could, in turn, increase demand for materials and solutions with a lower climate impact.

The reason is that a large portion of the construction sector’s emissions occur during the actual construction phase, with the production of building materials accounting for a significant share. By bringing together clients and establishing a common direction, the hope is to accelerate the transition.

Initially, the focus is on wood as a building material. The initiative aims both to reduce the carbon footprint of wood products and to take into account the impact of forestry on biodiversity.

The goal is to build on existing partnerships within the industry and integrate them into a national framework with local roots. In this way, the work can be advanced through collaboration between regional and national stakeholders.

The next step is to engage in dialogue with more stakeholders in the sector to shape the initiative and encourage more people to join the effort.

Next step

Work is now continuing in consultation with stakeholders in the construction sector to explore how the initiative can be structured and further developed. Are you interested in participating?Contact Thomas Sundén, Sustainable Innovation; read more here.