Environmental Footprint of Wood

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

LCA is a scientific measure of the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life.  It represents an objective way to compare materials, assemblies and even whole structures over the course of their entire lives, from resource extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use and end-of-life disposal. LCA has been widely used to compare the environmental impacts of building materials such as wood, steel, and concrete.

LCA is currently the best method to determine the greenness of a product.

The goal of life cycle assessment is to remove the guesswork by calculating actual outcomes based on quantifiable indicators of environmental impact.

Numerous life cycle assessment studies worldwide have shown that wood products yield clear environmental advantages over other building materials at every stage.

We can avoid a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions by substituting low impact wood products for materials such as concrete, which are responsible for high amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.

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Free online life cycle assessment tool

The ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies is a tool based on LCA that allows architects, engineers and others to quickly assess and compare environmental impacts of hundreds of building assemblies that are commonly used in construction.

• ATHENA EcoCalculator

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More resources about LCA

Dovetail Incorporated Comparing Wood, Concrete and Steel Download PDF

BC Forestry Innovation Investment Life Cycle Assessment  View Website