We have the utmost respect for people, our natural timber resource and the environment. At WIEHAG, sustainable value creation encompasses the entire journey – from responsibly managed forests and resource-efficient production through to long-lasting timber construction.
By using certified raw materials, generating a high proportion of our own renewable energy and building fair partnerships, we reduce emissions throughout our value chain while improving efficiency and quality.
INTELLIGENT BUILDING WITH TIMBER
REMOVING AND STORING CO2
Planting trees and expanding forest areas is by far the simplest, most scalable and time-tested way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it long term. Sustainable forestry is fundamental to this process – and for WIEHAG, this is where the climate impact of our work begins. We source our timber exclusively from sustainably managed forests with appropriate PEFC certification.
Only when new trees grow to replace every tree harvested can the system work. This also enables us to achieve our goal of a CO2-negative product balance.
Trees need carbon to grow. Through photosynthesis, they absorb it from the CO2 in the air – actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, storing the carbon in the timber and releasing oxygen in the process.
When we harvest a mature tree and use its timber to construct a building, we create three key benefits. First, we make space in the forest for a new tree, which can quickly begin absorbing CO₂ as it grows. This supports the active development of more climate-resilient forests.
Second, we lock the captured carbon into long-lasting structural timber, preventing it from being released back into the atmosphere if the tree succumbs to the effects of climate change and dies.
Third, we replace CO₂-intensive building materials, which are responsible for around 12% of global emissions, wherever they are not needed.
CERTIFICATIONS AND LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS
FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
The Environmental Product Declarations from the Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU EPD) and Environmentally Relevant Product Information (MRPI EPD), together with our listing in the Dutch National Environmental Database (NMD), provide transparent, independently verified information on the environmental impacts of our glulam products throughout their entire life cycle.
This gives architects, designers and clients reliable data for tenders, material selection, building certifications and country-specific compliance requirements.
Product life cycle assessments consider factors such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption throughout the product’s life cycle, including transport, use and recycling. At building level, these values are assessed together with other building materials and energy requirements. This allows different options to be compared during the design phase and their environmental potential to be identified. Buildings can then be systematically optimised across their entire life cycle, providing a sound basis for sustainable construction, as demonstrated by The CubeHouse.
The carbon storage capacity of WIEHAG glulam is verified by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN 15804. One cubic metre of WIEHAG glulam stores approximately 208 kilograms of biogenic carbon, equivalent to –763 kilograms of CO2 equivalents.
Even after accounting for emissions from production, transport and processing (A1–A3), the net result remains –677 kilograms of CO2 equivalents per cubic metre.
TIMBER CONVERSION
DECARBONISATION AT WIEHAG
To maintain the positive climate impact of timber construction, we are systematically advancing the decarbonisation of production at the WIEHAG Campus. More than 95% of our emissions occur within our upstream and downstream value chain (Scope 3). As confirmed by our greenhouse gas inventory for the 2025/2026 financial year, our direct emissions from production and energy supply (Scopes 1 and 2) are correspondingly low.
The main reason for these low figures is the high proportion of renewable energy we generate ourselves. At the WIEHAG Campus, we operate a biomass power plant, a pyrolysis plant and a power-to-heat system to utilise timber processing residues. We also have an extensive photovoltaic system.
This allows us to meet almost all of our heating requirements and generate nearly two-thirds of our electricity ourselves. The remaining electricity required for our sustainable production comes exclusively from certified renewable energy providers. We are also progressively converting our company vehicles and forklifts to electric power.
Current figures and progress in the continued decarbonisation of our production can be found in our Sustainability Report.
TIMBER PEOPLE
GROWING TOGETHER
Sustainability underpins everything we do at WIEHAG. Just as a healthy forest can only grow when its ecological system is in balance, we also see ourselves as part of a greater whole.
We build relationships for the long term, based on fairness, respect and trust – within our team and in our relationships with partners and customers. Through ethical standards and compliance with the law, we protect our values, our reputation and our business objectives.
As a responsible employer with strong regional ties, we offer our employees reliable prospects for the future. A key focus is the training of young skilled professionals. WIEHAG offers apprenticeships in 10 professions, together with the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship qualification.
Our Future Talent Programme is aimed at young people who want to start their careers as trainees in engineered timber construction. In addition, we maintain partnerships with Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences.
