Classifying Climate Benefits and Addressing Trade-offs of Timber Use in Buildings for Voluntary Carbon Markets and the EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework

Hanna Fiegenbaum 

Timber use in construction is increasingly promoted as a climate mitigation option due to its potential for carbon storage and material substitution. Current classifications often conflate storage with carbon removal, risking misalignment with voluntary carbon market integrity frameworks and the EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework. This paper evaluates the scientific and methodological basis for classifying timber-related climate benefits and advocates for integrating scientific evidence into future market and policy mechanisms. It outlines technical requirements for attribution, baseline setting, and carbon pool consistency, and assesses four classification options. The paper recommends treating timber as part of an integrated building-level mitigation strategy rather than a standalone component - be it for climate benefits from carbon storage, from emission reduction through material substitution or from mixed component approaches. Further emphasis is placed on the need to safeguard against biodiversity and land-use trade-offs associated with timber demand as an integral part of any incentive mechanism.