Why Canada Must Align Sequestered Carbon Accounting With Global Markets - CleanTechnica

The article discusses the critical need for Canada to align its accounting of sequestered carbon in mass timber construction with global market standards. It uses the example of Lytton, British Columbia, which suffered devastating heat in 2021, to highlight the urgency of climate-resilient building practices. The town’s rebuild is serving as a pilot project for integrating carbon sequestration into building design, particularly through the use of mass timber products like cross-laminated timber (CLT). These wood products lock away carbon absorbed during tree growth, effectively acting as carbon banks that can reduce a building’s overall carbon footprint if the wood is reused or disposed of in ways that prevent decay. Scientifically, mass timber has a significant advantage over conventional materials like concrete and steel in terms of embodied carbon emissions. While producing a cubic meter of CLT can store about one ton of CO₂ equivalent, concrete and steel production emit hundreds to over a thousand kilograms of CO₂ per cubic meter. Studies show timber buildings can reduce