Communication projects on carbon storage of wood products

In 2021–2022, a total of five Catch the Carbon projects related to communications were carried out. This page describes the implementation of four of them.

Increasing the use of wood and understanding of its characteristics in teaching technical work in comprehensive schools

Duration: 2021–2023

Project implementers: Finnish Forest Centre, Association of Finnish Wood Industries AFWI, Association of Technology Teachers

Description

The project has created an operating model for increasing the use of wood and the understanding of its characteristics in teaching technical work in comprehensive schools. The project’s key idea is to promote the use in schools of left-over materials from local carpenters. The main objective is to provide schoolchildren with correct information on, for example, the origin of wood products, the importance of material recycling, carbon cycles and the role of wood products in climate change mitigation, as well as on employment and study opportunities in the wood products industry.

Initially, seven comprehensive schools and several companies were selected to pilot the operating model in 2021. The activities received a very good reception, and the aim in the ongoing second phase of the project is to introduce the model widely across the country. In the project’s operating model, carpentry companies collect high-quality wood material not suitable for production to be donated to schools. This gives the schools access to an extended range of wood materials in teaching.

In November 2021, the project organised an ‘inspiring tour’ for children in the pilot schools, in which Miikka Kotilainen, from the company Puuartisti Oy, told the pupils about his own journey as a timber sector entrepreneur. During the tour, the project leaders also told the pupils about how wood can be used as part of the circular economy and in climate change mitigation, as well as about employment opportunities in the wood products sector. Furthermore, in May 2022 another event was organised for pupils from the participating schools on the premises of Lahti Pro Puu ry. The event included different activities, and there was an exhibition of the work of pupils in the pilot schools in connection with the event.

The project will produce communication material for pupils, describing carbon sequestration in trees, the functioning of wood as a carbon store and the properties of wood as a construction material.

Contact information:

Mr. Jouni Silvast, Project Manager, Finnish Forest Centre, jouni.silvast@metsakeskus.fi

Project website (in finnish)
Association of Finnish Wood Industries AFWI
Association of Technology Teacher

Videos on the construction of wooden multi-storey buildings

Construction of wooden multi-storey buildings in towns and residential buildings as well as on the use of wood in interior design and in the yard of an apartment building is presented in a series of eight videos.

The topics of the videos include the construction of a wooden apartment building in a city and the fire safety, sound insulation and acoustics of wooden apartment buildings. In addition, a video was produced on additional multi-storey buildings and supplementary construction with wood. The videos also present model examples of wooden structures in the yards of housing companies and the interior design possibilities of apartment house residents with wood, the health impacts of wood, and present a European example of a wood construction site. The videos also deal with special questions related to wood construction and living in a wooden multi-storey apartment building, such as fire safety, acoustic insulation and acoustics. The target groups of videos are construction experts, construction financiers, citizens and decision-makers

The videos were produced by an organisation called Puuinfo.

Videos (only in finnish)

Contact information: Anu Turunen, Puuinfo anu.turunen@puuinfo.fi

Website related to the wood construction especially wooden schools in Finland

The website tells about the construction of wooden schools in particular. One example of this is the Tuupala wooden school in Kuhmo. Tuupala school is Finland’s first school built with massive wooden element technology.

Carbon Stash

Duration: 2021

Project implementers: Federation of the Finnish Woodworking Industries, the Finnish Sawmills Association and Tapio

Description
Wood products as carbon stocks, Carbon Stash, project was a communicational project. The project consortium consisted of Federation of the Finnish Woodworking Industries, the Finnish Sawmills Association and Tapio. The project manager was Sara Turunen, Tapio.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland provided funding for the project of EUR 30,000. Federation of the Finnish Woodworking Industries, the Finnish Sawmills each had self-financing of EUR 10,000. In addition, the project received EUR 15,000 funding from Puumiesten ammattikasvatussäätiö.

The aim of the project was to clarify the carbon sink and emissions debate related to forest use and wood products. The project provided the general public and decision makers with clear and accurate information on the role of wood and forests as carbon sinks and carbon stocks (sinks and storage) and the potential to replace fossil materials and add wood for use in long-lived products or building sites.

The project published a report produced by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE about wood products as carbon storage and substitutes. The project produced a communication animation illustrating the circulation of carbon in forests and the storage of carbon in long-lived wood products. More communication was done through social media channels. In addition, one press release was published and a webinar was organized for key stakeholders on the research organisation's report and the core messages of the project.

Contact information: Sara Turunen, sara.turunen@tapio.fi

Further information
A report produced by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE (Finnish)
Project materials (Finnish)