September 28, 2021
The SLB’s Q2 Accomplishments in Wood Education, Reduction of Carbon in the Built Environment, and Buildings Code Adoptions | SLB 2021 Q2 Report Now Available
The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) recently published its 2021 Q2 Report, which recaps the SLB’s progress in responding to trends and shifting the delivery of initiatives and resources to drive increased market demand and consumption of softwood lumber. The SLB, in partnership with its funded programs—the American Wood Council (AWC), Think Wood, and WoodWorks—are collaborating to strategically close gaps and overcome barriers in the industry.
The wood product value chain lacks credible and comprehensive data needed to position forests and wood products as an attractive vehicle for construction and to address carbon mitigation and climate change in the built environment. The SLB is collaborating with several industry partners on data initiatives that will inform and improve what we already know to be true; that softwood lumber is a proven solution for reducing the environmental footprint of the built environment and a proven solution for construction.
Highlights from Q2 include:
- The AWC successfully stewarded nine of its 12 proposals through recent International Code Council (ICC) Group A committee action hearings. One change recommended for approval, G147-21, would allow for 100% exposed mass timber ceilings in buildings up to 12 stories, presenting important growth opportunities for mass timber over the coming decade.
- The Mass Timber Design Manual, developed by Think Wood and WoodWorks, was downloaded more than 10,000 times, generating 12 active building projects and 5,000 new contacts in the Think Wood database in Q2 alone.
- WoodWorks directly influenced and converted 113 projects, with an additional 319 projects being influenced, representing 24 million square feet of wood construction and an incremental 215 million board feet of demand.
- Nearly 1,000 users have joined the Wood Institute YTD, with users completing nearly 1,400 courses, for a total of 1,908 learning hours.
In addition to program successes, the SLB is proud to announce two noteworthy achievements. The first is the launch of new carbon transparency initiatives to fill key gaps in expertise and data across the wood products value chain, jointly funded with the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities. The Wood Supply Shed Carbon Balance Tool, the Fiber Sourcing Transparency Tool, and the A4 Transportation Tool will provide carbon accounting data for the AEC sector so they can better understand the full carbon impact of their structures.
The second is the MOU signed earlier this month by the SLB and USDA, that builds upon the existing collaborative relationship that seeks to grow demand for wood products as natural climate solutions. The SLB’s strategic investments and partnerships continue to respond to the ever-evolving industry and position wood as the preferred material of choice in the built environment.
Thank you for your continued support of the SLB and our programs and initiatives. We always welcome industry feedback, which can be sent to info@softwoodlumberboard.org.