Timber is one of VolkerWessels Nederland’s four biggest material flows, along with steel, concrete and asphalt. In 2018 a total of around 44,751m3 of sustainable timber was processed, equating to 98% of total timber procurement and responsible for the absorption of 40,200 tonnes of CO2 (based on FSC guidelines). Using sustainable timber helps reduce the construction sector’s carbon footprint. In the drive to make our sector more sustainable timber is an important and sustainable substitute for example for concrete. In addition to fully sustainable timber procurement there are opportunities for using more timber in our projects.
The Sustainability Report 2018 explains how using sustainable timber has been important to VolkerWessels for many years now, as well as providing information about the further ambitions, opportunities and obstacles in the field of circular construction.
Forest Calculation Tool
Of the sustainable timber procured in 2018 a total of 25,271m3 was FSC-certified, with most of the remainder being PEFC-certified. The new FSC Forest Calculation Tool allows you to calculate how many square metres of forest is actually protected by choosing FSC-certified timber for a specific project. In VolkerWessels’ case around 10% of the timber is tropical hardwood and 90% Northern timber, equating to around 6 million square metres of forest protected. Click here for more information about the tool.
FSC Netherlands
VolkerWessels is a signatory to the FSC Nederland covenant. FSC has three objectives in terms of responsible forestry:
- Protecting plant and animal habitats
- Respecting the rights of the local population and forestry workers
- Harvesting timber and making money whilst protecting the forest
The contracts between the group and the timber suppliers set out agreements regarding the use of sustainable timber and the monitoring of timber procurement. FSC Nederland ensures the preservation of forests through responsible forestry. As a partner VolkerWessels is proud of this collaboration and the results already achieved.
New concept: modular school building made of timber
One of our companies specialises in timber construction. The May edition of the trade journal Schooldomein features an interesting article about a new sustainable construction concept. VolkerWessels company De Groot Vroomshoop teamed up with SeARCH Architecten and primary school Klein Amsterdam to develop a unique accommodation solution.
Fun fact: the timber used to realise the school building contains more CO2 than was emitted during the construction process.