Canada Must Treat Timber Like Cars, Not Cabins - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica argues that Canada faces a dual crisis: a severe housing shortage compounded by an aging construction workforce, alongside the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from building materials. Traditional construction methods relying heavily on concrete and steel contribute significantly to embodied carbon emissions, which occur before buildings are even occupied. To address both housing affordability and climate goals, the article advocates for a shift toward mass timber construction combined with modular manufacturing. Mass timber, exemplified by Milwaukee’s Ascent tower—the world’s tallest mass timber building—offers a sustainable alternative that sequesters carbon, reduces construction time, and is scalable for urban housing needs. The author emphasizes that Canada should treat housing construction like advanced manufacturing, producing apartments and mid-rise condos in factories using standardized designs and mass timber panels or modules. This industrial approach can overcome labor shortages, accelerate delivery by 30-50%, and drastically cut embodied carbon emissions. Policy recommendations include government acting as an anchor customer through multi-year contracts, creating pattern books of pre