Lecture/Presentation

Sustainable Development Benefits of Building with Wood

September 21, 2015 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

• Where: Yale Club 50 Vanderbilt Ave New York, NY 10017
• Hosted by: SPN, NEFF, The Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
• Go to event website »

The demand for wood buildings is growing, with particular attention in recent years to the potential for multi-story wood buildings. While steel and concrete have dominated the construction industry for over a century, associated costs during production include high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. As old as the hills, wood is a renewable alternative to steel and concrete. Building with wood has lower carbon emissions during production and stores carbon within timber used in construction. The benefits of wood during construction also include reduced waste, faster construction time, and reduced costs. With advances in technology and inspiration from the past, wood can provide beauty and multiple benefits to society when used in new construction. Innovative wood buildings, ten stories or more in height, have been constructed across the world, including in England, Australia, Norway, Canada, and the United States.   Increasing the amount of responsibly harvested wood used during construction is a necessary part of our nation’s commitment to green building, sustainability, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Join us to discuss the sustainability benefits and complexities of building with wood, the connection between forests and climate change, and the future of wood buildings. Our panel includes leaders in architecture, green building engineering, forest conservation, and wood products.   Moderator: Michael Deane, Chief Sustainability Officer, Turner Construction   Panelists: Roger Platt, President, US Green Building Council; Michael Green, Principal, Michael Green Architecture Patrick Holmes, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, USDA Frank Lowenstein, Deputy Director, NEFF, and Senior Fellow, US Dept. of State Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas Chad Oliver, Pinchot Professor of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Director of Yale’s Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry Sustainability; Bill Parsons, National Director, Architectural and Engineering Solutions, Woodworks About the Sponsors:   The New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) is widely recognized as the leading steward of New England’s forests and the most forceful and respected advocate for their conservation and responsible management. NEFF conserves forests through land acquisition; demonstration of sustainable forestry; promotion of forest conservation and responsible forest management; and education as to the contributions of regional forests to our economy, environment, quality of life and cultural heritage.   The Sustainability Practice Network (SPN) is a New York based inter-disciplinary community of professionals who seek to learn and share knowledge to advance sustainable development across sectors and disciplines. We mobilize our members to practice sustainability in their lives and work. Our mission is to raise awareness of the importance of individual and corporate sustainability and thereby create a more stable and equitable world. The Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies is in the forefront of developing a science-based approach to forest management, and in training leaders to face their generation’s challenges to sustaining forests. Through the Yale Forest Forum, the Institute hosts events to foster dialogue about pressing and emerging issues of the world’s forests.

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