On 16 September, on occasion of the President's State of the Union Address, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged that the European Commission will drive a sustainable and transformational recovery that will give Europe a global platform to lead economically, environmentally and geopolitically. President Von der Leyen stated “We know that the construction sector can even be turned from a carbon source into a carbon sink if organic building materials like wood and smart technologies as Artificial Intelligence are being used”.

As stated in the joint Woodworking Industries press release "the European Woodworking Industries play a fundamental role in the transition to a sustainable, green, and carbon-neutral Europe. As an early supporter of the EU Green Deal objectives, the Woodworking Industries stress the importance of upholding climate ambitions in synergy with the efforts sustained by the EU, Member States and companies alike to recover from the economic and social blow inflicted by the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic."….."Integrating green materials, such as wood products, into building projects can help reducing the environmental impacts associated with the construction sector. Timber buildings are globally recognised as key allies in climate change mitigation strategies"

Copy of the joint press release published by the Brussel’s based Wood Industry organisations, namely EOS, CEI-Bois, EPF and FEP is available  HERE