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An article on the sustainability of hemp-based construction materials -- published for The Conversation
May 1, 2024

Source The Conversation

Summary Hemp could become a key tool in the fight against climate change. Like timber, hemp is a biogenic material – it’s produced by growing plants. When used to make long-lasting building materials, they provide an effective and low-tech way to reduce carbon emissions because plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere as they grow. This then gets stored in solid form for the foreseeable future within buildings and cities.

I have estimated that substituting concrete with cross-laminated timber in all new building floor construction globally for the next 30 years, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 20 and 80 million tonnes.

Yet, hemp grows much faster than trees, growing up to four metres within four months, giving it a greater capacity to absorb CO₂ per hectare of farmed land compared to any forest or commercial crop. Industrial hemp can absorb twice as much CO₂ compared to trees, with approximately one hectare of hemp estimated to sequester between eight to 22 tonnes of CO₂ in a year.

People Bernardino D'Amico

Research Areas Carbon Emissions

Themes Environment

URL https://theconversation.com/hemp-is-more-sustainable-than-timber-heres-how-it-could-transform-low-carbon-construction-228341

Source	The Conversation
Summary	Hemp could become a key tool in the fight against climate change. Like timber, hemp is a biogenic material – it’s produced by growing plants. When used to make long-lasting building materials, they provide an effective and low-tech way to reduce carbon emissions because plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere as they grow. This then gets stored in solid form for the foreseeable future within buildings and cities. I have estimated that substituting concrete with cross-laminated timber in all new building floor construction globally for the next 30 years, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 20 and 80 million tonnes. Yet, hemp grows much faster than trees, growing up to four metres within four months, giving it a greater capacity to absorb CO₂ per hectare of farmed land compared to any forest or commercial crop. Industrial hemp can absorb twice as much CO₂ compared to trees, with approximately one hectare of hemp estimated to sequester between eight to 22 tonnes of CO₂ in a year.
People	Bernardino D'Amico
Research Areas	Carbon Emissions
Themes	Environment
URL	https://theconversation.com/hemp-is-more-sustainable-than-timber-heres-how-it-could-transform-low-carbon-construction-228341