The government wants to promote timber construction in facilities such as schools and hospitals. A corresponding initiative was decided in the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. 110 million euros has been allocated for the project.
“With wood we not only build houses, but also a strong and sustainable future. The construction and operation of buildings is currently responsible for 36 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. To reduce these emissions, we will increasingly replace CO₂-intensive building materials with wood from Austria in the future (…),” Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) announced in a press release. Timber construction also has economic benefits.
According to the ministry, the 110 million euros will mainly flow directly to timber construction projects. In the past, four tenders involving more than 90 projects have already been completed in this way. The focus should also be on energy-saving and sustainable heating methods in public buildings such as schools, childcare facilities and hospitals.
New building standards considered
Moreover, construction standards need to be reconsidered according to government plans. Discussions about this are already underway. Federal, state and EU regulations must be taken into account, the report said.
Approval came from, among others, the Chamber of Agriculture and the Austrian Timber Industry Association. “The renewable building material wood helps us replace energy-intensive materials and thus achieve CO₂ savings. Our forest farmers must also make their tree stands climate-proof through active management. The fact that sales channels for wood – their central product – need to be strengthened will help companies in their economically stressed situation to cope with this growing gigantic task,” said Josef Moosbrugger, President of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture.
Source: Krone
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