According to a United Nations study, the construction of buildings and the production of building materials accounted for around 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2021; this corresponds to a total of around 3.5 Gt CO₂ (UN 2022). A large proportion of these emissions can be attributed to construction materials that are particularly energy-intensive to produce. Examples of this are steel, aluminum and concrete, whereby the greenhouse gas emissions from concrete are largely not due to its energy-intensive production, but to the process of deacidifying the clinker and the CO₂ released in the process.

Substituting these materials with renewable raw materials therefore offers an important starting point for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector. Wood and wood composites in particular are mentioned in this context.