If companies want net-zero carbon offices, they need to focus on building materials

An office building made with cross-laminated timber in Tokyo, Japan. (Shutterstock) Meike Siegner, Ryerson University and Cory Searcy, Ryerson University In 2020, the extraction, transport and manufacturing of materials for the building sector accounted for 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If buildings are to make meaningful contributions to keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, limiting emissions from building materials is crucial. To achieve this objective, engineered versions of age-old building technologies, like wood, straw or bamboo, are critical. These bio-based building materials generally demand less energy in manufacturing and have the ability to