sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY SOLID TIMBER MANUAL 2.0

SUSTAINABILITY © Binderholz GmbH & Saint-Gobain Rigips Austria GesmbH 2nd edition, March 2022 All information in this document reflects the latest state of development and has been prepared for you according to the best of knowledge and good faith. As we always strive to offer the best possible solutions for you, we reserve making changes due to improvements in terms of application or production technology. Assure yourself that you have the most recent edition of this document available. Printing errors cannot be ruled out. This publication is targeted at trained specialists. The illustrations of executing activities contained in this document are not understood as processing instructions, unless expressly marked as such. Renderings and sectional views of the individual assemblies are not depicted on scale; they merely serve as illustration. Our products and systems are matched to each other. Their interaction has been confirmed by internal and external testing. All information is generally based on the exclusive use of our products. Unless described otherwise, the information does not permit any conclusions as to the combinability with third-party systems or exchangeability of individual parts by external products; to this end, no warranty can be extended or liability accepted. Please also note that our business relationships are exclusively subject to our general terms of sale, delivery and payment (GTC) in the current version. You can receive our GTC on request or find them online atwww.binderholz.com and www.rigips.com. We are looking forward to a pleasant cooperation and wish you great success with all of our system solutions. Publisher Binderholz GmbH and Saint-Gobain Rigips Austria GesmbH Technical implementation Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Tim Sleik, Dipl.-Ing. Christian Kolbitsch and Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Jens Koch Graphic implementation Advertising Agency Goldfeder − Jasmin Brunner Photos binderholz, Rigips Austria, b&k structures, www.christof-reich.com, Daniel Shearing HOTLINES: Binderholz Bausysteme GmbH Saint-Gobain Rigips Austria GesmbH Tel. +43 6245 70500 Tel. +43 1 616 29 80-517 www.binderholz.com www.rigips.com

SUSTAINABILITY CONTENTS Future challenges 4 Wood – THE most sustainable raw and building material 5 Climate protection and resource protection 7 The forest as a carbon drain 8 How much wood is needed to manufacture 1 m³ CLT BBS? 9 Regional character based on short distances 10 Efficiency factor of forestry and wood 11 Great value, big benefit 12 The zero-waste principle of binderholz 13 Timber construction in facts and figures 14 Ecobalance and cascade use of wood 17 Objectives 19 Gypsum – the raw material 20 Transparency – environmental product declaration 21 Multi-comfort 22 Innovation 22 Employee commitment in the course of the world depletion day 23 Key indicators 23 List of figures 24 Sources 24

SUSTAINABILITY 4 SUSTAINABILITY Future challenges With 17 defined goals, the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNECE lists its milestones for a sustainable further development. These are to contribute to mastering the global ecological, economic and social challenges (see Figure 1). To support reaching these goals, a campaign of measures has been launched. It is a special initiative of the UN Secretary General that is managed by the United Nations development programme. It is supported by the United Nations and the Member States in the publication and involvement of the public in the implementation of the SDGs. The SDGs apply to all states, companies and civil societies and took force on 1 January 2016 with a term of 15 years. Figure 1 – 17 SDGs of the UNECE Paris Agreement In contrast to the Kyoto Protocol of the year 1997, the Paris Agreement obligates all states without exception for the first time since 2015 to develop a national climate protection contribution (“nationally determined contribution”, NDC). Each state must resolve measures for implementation and also fulfil these. The primary goal is the so-called 2-degree target: By 2015, the global emissions are to be reduced by 40% to 70%, so that the critical temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius is not exceeded. Furthermore, new comprehensive rules on the protection of forests have been adopted. New forms for the international cooperation on carbon markets are being established and the states are called upon to respond better to climate change and arrange global financial flows in such a way that climate protection is in the foreground. Saint-Gobain contributes actively in the implementation of the Agreement and is available actively with its competence also at advanced conferences and to interested groups. Moreover, the Paris Agreement can already accelerate reaching the goals by targeted specific measures such as the consistent use of wood in the construction sector.

SUSTAINABILITY 5 Wood – THE most sustainable raw and building material Following the principle of consuming only as much in the presence so that more will be available in the future, sustainability is and stays the top priority in European forestry. Accordingly, the three basic functions of the forest (utility, protection, and recreation function) is to be and remain available also for next generations. About 300 years ago, the term sustainability was coined by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in his “Silvicultura oeconomica”. This economic management concept that was originally developed exclusively for forestry is put into practice today more than ever and in politics and the economy it by now stands for the model of a future-oriented use of resources worldwide. This is also reflected in the official data of the EU. Accordingly, the forested area in the EU has increased by 2% in 15 years, which means an absolute growth of rounded 4 million hectares of forested area. The same applies to the forestry and use of timber from the forests at a national level. In Austria, currently nearly half of the country’s entire territory is forest (see Figure 2). Since 1961, an area of 300,000 hectares has been added and by now, 0.5 hectares of forest per resident is reached. Of this, 82% is in private and 18% in public ownership. As continuously more timber regrows than is harvested, the Austrian forest, differently than is the case in the clearing of tropical forests, can perpetually spread more. Moreover, Austrian forests are the home to 3.4 billion trees and 65 different types of trees with a total reservoir of 1.1 billion metres of existing forest. Of the 30.4 million solid cubic metres that regrow each year in the Austrian forests, 25.9 million solid cubic metres are extracted to fully satisfy the principle of sustainable forestry. Figure 2 – Forest area of the EU Member States, Zuschnitt 51 proholz Austria In contrast to the tropical rainforest, Austria’s forest may not serve as a so-called “rainmaker” but it ensures that the country stays fresh and moist. The relative humidity in the forest is up to 10% higher than in the surrounding land. It thereby regulates the climatic conditions, binds greenhouse gases, protects against avalanches and flood water, promotes biodiversity and additionally serves as a local recreation area. In addition, it makes a significant contribution to the drinking water in the country maintaining its high quality. Germany is among the European countries with the largest forested areas. Overall, there are about 90 billion trees in Germany’s forests. One-third of the country’s entire territory is covered by forests – this equals 11.4 billion hectares. In spite of its low growth of 0.4%, the forest keeps growing further. The Federal States that have the most forest in terms of hectares are Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate with 42%. Source: The forest in Germany The German forest is characterised by its great biodiversity with 90 species of trees, 1,215 species of plants and 6,700 animal species. Without overextending the use of the forest, up to 120 million m³ of timber can be harvested in the domestic territory per year. As the annual timber consumption of Germany is around 135 million m³, 11% of the consumed timber must be imported. The annual timber increase according to the third Federal Forest Inventory is 121.6 m³ of timber. This equals forty times the Giza Pyramid in comparison. Thus, a conFinnland 75% Finland 77% Austria 48% Italy 37% Germany 31% Hungary 22% Schweden 68% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Österreich 47% Slowakei 41% Tschechien 33% Italien 32% Deutschland 31% Frankreich 30% Ungarn 19% EU 19% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% EU 42%

SUSTAINABILITY 6 verted 3.8 m³ of wood regrows per second in the German forest. The overall inventory of timer available in the German forest is 3.7 billion m³. Thus, Germany has the highest timber inventory in Europe. Source: Timber Balance for Germany In Finland, 77% of the country’s total territory is covered by forest, which means 4.2 hectares wooden area per resident. Nearly half of the Finish forests are pinewoods, the largest remaining portion is split between spruce, downy birch and weeping birch. The majority of Finland’s forests are mixed forests, thus they are home to more than one species. Overall 30 different domestic species can be found in Finland. The Finish forestry as well is managed according to the principle of sustainability because the annual increase of forests by 30% exceeds the annual timber harvest quantities. Consequently, the Finish forest grows continuously and this is true for all tree species and forest areas of Finland. The annual growth has exceeded the 100-million cubic metre threshold since a few years ago. In the year 2014, for example, there was a growth of 104 million m³. The total volume of the Finish forest in 2014 was at 2,360 billion m³ and since the beginning of the 21st century, Finland’s timber inventories have grown by 60%. Source: Finland’s forests Guaranteed sustainability along the supply chain – Chain of Custody (CoC) To guarantee the benefits of the sustainable and resource-conscious European forestry for the end user along the entire value added chain, consistent monitoring along the supply and production chain is needed – from the tree to the customer! At the level of the EU Member States, country-specific forestry laws ensure compliance with a sustainable and adjusted forestry. In the international economic area, this is ensured through a legal framework of the European Union to facilitate consistent control and monitoring of the sustainable supply chain. The FLEGT action plan and the EUTR With the FLEGT actions plan (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade), the EU has adopted a broadly based catalogue of measures to effectively fight the global problem of uncontrolled and illegal wood harvest. An important point in the FLEGT actions plan meanwhile is the European Timber Regulation (EUTR). At its core, it demands from all European market actors that they are accountable in the worldwide procurement of wood and wood products, to thereby be able to build up a sustainable supply chain in the long term. The regulation, which took force on 3 March 2013, foremost demands central proof that illegal sources of timber are excluded by companies importing to the European Union. For this purpose, each importer has to undergo a company-internal due diligence process, which is based on three central pillars: • Procurement of information • Risk assessment • Risk reduction Source: FLEGT approval system Independent certification of the supply chain Besides the strict public control bodies, the companies of the timber industry can seek additional testing from independent certifying institutions. Various service providers such as the PEFC or FSC are available for this. PEFC is the largest institution for the assurance and marketing of sustainable forestry by means of an independent certification system. It ensures a sustainable, careful and responsible forestry. This way, our forests will stay preserved also for future generations – as a living basis, workplace and recreational area. The aim is to continuously improve our forestry, preserve the forest and assure its positive effects on the environment. Thanks to an accreditation procedure according to international standards, the independence of the certifying institutes is guaranteed to a particularly high measure. The emphases here are on facilitating the fair participation of all forest owners, regardless of the size of their business, and consideration for the diversity of forest ecosystems, cultural heritage and ownership structures. PEFC is the first system that has integrated social criteria not only in the forest certification but also in the product chain certification (Chain of Custody).

SUSTAINABILITY 7 Photosynthesis Solar energy CO2 O2 O2 Decomposition Combustion C Climate protection and resource protection Carbon cycles in nature The carbon cycles in nearly all ecosystems are decisively characterised by photosynthesis, as it supplies all creatures with energetic elements and sources of energy. In the course of photosynthesis, plants take up carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air during their growth, as well as water and nutrients from the soil, and build their growth and textural structure from this. For trees, this basic structure is wood. During the photosynthesis process, the low-energy oxygen molecule is decomposed in the green leaves of the plants by means of light. Oxygen (O) that is vital for most living beings and created as a decomposition product this way is released again to the environment. Carbon (C) in contrast serves for the organic structure of the tree and remains bound in the form of biomass for its entire lifecycle. This way, the plants continuously extract the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere (see Figure 3). Biomass is understood to mean wood, leaves, roots and humus. As soon as the biomass dies off, carbon dioxide is released again through decomposition and the natural cycle is closed. Figure 3 – Carbon cycles in nature Certification by binderholz The traceability of the origin of the wood and the exclusion of exploitative harvesting represent the basis for certification and guarantee this way the promotion of a socially and environmentally compatible economy. The diversity of plants and animals thereby remains preserved and the social interests of humans are taken into consideration. As processing companies are also certified, the certification status is maintained up to the end customer. Forest owners cannot only have their forests certified directly by a certifying institute but the buyers of the logs, in cooperation with the forest owners, can additionally rate wood originating from non-certified forests by means of a specially developed due diligence system, which has been accredited in advance by a certifying institute, and they can exclude it from the further process in the case of uncertainties. All products of binderholz are 100% PEFC-certified or made of wood that originates from PEFC-controlled sources. The implementation of the strict PEFC criteria and a permanent internal self-monitoring of the flows of logs and lumber in combination with an annual external audit on site by an independent certifying institute serve to fulfil the goals of sustainable timber use and thus meeting the PEFC requirements. Based on the sustainable approach of the European forestry that is sparing on resources and which is monitored by a strictly controlled regulatory framework, construction with timber is sensible in all respects. Wood is available everywhere in our latitudes to sufficient extent and it is a natural resource that regrows continuously more than it is harvested. It is therefore no surprise that the wood industry has been firmly rooted in Europe ever since.

SUSTAINABILITY 8 The forest as a carbon drain In times of rising CO2 emissions due to increasing anthropogenic emissions, groomed and stable forests through regulated forestry, like they can be found in all of Northern and Central Europe, are one of the decisive factors in the reduction of the CO2 load in the atmosphere. The graphic below shows how important a regulated forest cultivation by means of forestry management is (see Figure 4). While the carbon balance in an unmanaged forest remains balanced due to the dying off and rotting of trees, the balancing in a cultivated forest takes a different course: when wood is harvested, the carbon remains stored in the harvested wood – meaning the rotting phase is simply skipped. If the cultivation of the forests was discontinued, there would be neither wood products storing additional carbon nor biomass that might replace fossil energy carriers. Thus, global warming would progress even faster. Therefore, non-cultivated forests are less beneficial for the atmosphere than cultivated forests. This is so because the wood cannot be used and the natural rotting causes that the CO2, which has been absorbed by the tree during its growth phase, is released to the atmosphere again. CO2-sequestration - long-term deposit and storing of carbon Based on the ability of trees to store it for the long term, even after the harvest, not only the forest but foremost also buildings, furniture or even toys made of wood contribute as carbon stores to the reduction of the CO2 content in the atmosphere. As a rule of thumb, 1 m³ of wood stores nearly one tonne of CO2 equivalents from the atmosphere. Extrapolated, this means that the Austrian forest stores approx. 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalents. This is almost 35-times as much as greenhouse gases emitted by Austria per year. Trees bind carbon dioxide and store it as biogenic carbon over a long period. Every used trunk creates space for new trees and increases the carbon store in the wood. Buildings with wood therefore make sense in all aspects, especially since wood is available to sufficient extent everywhere in our latitudes. At the same time, it is a natural and sustainable raw material that can be subject to a comprehensive natural cascade as a cyclical material. Figure 4 – Effects of the carbon drain between the forestry and the jungle, Zuschnitt 65, proHolz Austria Wälder speichern große Mengen an Kohlenstoff und sind daher wichtig für den globalen Kohlenstoffkreislauf. Seit 1960 hat sich der CO 2-Anteil in der Atmosphäre von 218 ppm auf aktuell ca. 385 ppm um 0,039 Prozent erhöht. Ohne CO 2 in der Atmosphäre hätten wir eine durchschnittliche Welttemperatur von – 16 ° C und nicht wie derzeit ca. + 15 ° C. In Österreich hat die Jahresmittel - temperatur seit 1960 um 1,5 ° C zugenommen, während sich die jährlichen Niederschläge im Mittel nicht verändert haben. Wald puffert große Mengen an CO 2 und ohne Wald hätten wir eine um 30 Prozent höhere CO 2-Konzentration. Die globale Waldfläche ist damit gemeinsam mit den Ozeanen der wichtigste „Klimapuffer“ und Walderhaltung bzw. eine Erweiterung der Waldflächen ist Teil des Klimaschutzes. Was bewirkt Waldwirtschaft? Waldökosysteme binden Kohlenstoff. Mit der Kompostierung von abgestorbener Biomasse setzen Wälder Kohlenstoff frei. Großflä - chige, vom Menschen unbeeinflusste Waldökosysteme (Urwälder) binden in et a die gleiche Menge Kohl nstoff, die sie durch Ab - bauprozesse freisetzen. Ein 300 Hektar großer Urwald mit einer idealen Altersklassenverteilung ist CO 2-neutral und hat somit auch keine Senkenleistung. Waldwirtsc aft hingegen nutzt Holz am Ende der Optimalphase und führt es ide lerweise im Sinn einer s genannten kaska - dischen Verwendung der gesellschaftlichen Nutzung zu. Am Ende des Prozesses verrottet dann Holz wieder bzw. wird für die Ener - gieerzeugung verwendet. Damit werden fossile Energieträger (Er öl, Erdgas) subsituiert u d durch die erneuerbare Ressource Holz aus nachhaltiger Waldwirtschaft ersetzt. Im Gegensatz zu einem Urwald hat ein 300Hektar großer Wirtschaftswald mit idealer Altersklassenverteilung aufgrund von Substitutionseffek - ten (Ersatz von fossilem C) einen positiven Effekt. Im Gegensatz zum Urwald wird C bzw. CO 2 nicht durch Zersetzungsprozesse freigesetzt, sondern geerntet und erst wieder im Zuge der energe - tischen Nutzung an die Atmosphäre abgegeben. Das Kyoto-Protokoll Die international wichtigste Vereinbarung zum Klimaschutz ist das Kyoto-Protokoll. Ein wichtiges Ziel des Kyoto-Protokolls ist die Erhaltung der globalen Waldfläche, die außer in Europa auf - grund der Umwandlung in landwirtschaftliche Flächen und Sied ungsraum für die wachsende Bevölkerung abnimmt. Österreich hat sich bei der Klimakonferenz im japanischen Kyoto zu einer Reduktion des CO 2-Ausstoßes bis 2012 um 13 Prozent, bezogen auf das Niveau von 1990 (79 Mio. t CO 2), verpflichtet. Seit Februar 2005 gilt diese Vereinbarung. Im Jahr 2012 wäre für Österreich ein Ausstoß von 68,87 Mio. t CO 2 erlaubt gewesen, tatsächlich betrug dieser 80,2 Mio. t. Hauptverursacher waren der Verkehr (ca. 30 Prozent) und die Industrie ( 29 Prozent). Auch wenn in Österreich die Waldfläche jährlich um 7.000Hektar zunimmt und damit ein wichtiger Beitrag zum Klimaschutz geleistet wird, muss Österreich den CO 2-Ausstoß senken, um die Klimaziele zu erreichen. Dazu sind auch die Förderung erneuer - barer Energien sowie der Verwendung von Holz, das in Gebäude , Möbeln etc. als „Zwischenlager“ fü Kohlenstoff dient, not wendig. Diese „Zwischenlagerung“ bzw. „kaskadische“ Verwendung von Holzprodukten verringert den CO 2-Gehalt in der Atmosphäre. Es wird eine Intensivierung der Waldwirtschaft er - wartet, wobei auf die Nachhaltigkeit zu achten ist. Reisig und Ä te müssen i Wald verbl iben, damit es zu k inen Degradierunge der Standorte kommt. Hubert Hasenauer ist Professor für Waldbau und Leiter des Instituts für Waldbau an der Universi - tät für Bodenkultu in Wien. Seine Forschungsinteress n sind W ldbewirtschaftungskonzepte und Kohlenstoffkreisläufe sowie die Weiterentwicklung u d Anwendung von Ökosystemmodellen in der Klimafolgenforschung. I – Optimal phase: Here, the strongest volume growth takes place and the forest stores large quantities of carbon. The forest is a carbon drain. II – Decomposition phase: The forest has reached its physiological age limit; trees die and discharge carbon to the atmosphere. The forest is a carbon source. III – Rejuvenation phase: The forest is at the end of the decomposition phase with a lot of rejuvenation. The forest is carbon-neutral because decomposition and growth processes are about equal. Hubert Hasenauer The cultivated forest Carbon is bound, turnover time of 150 years, carbon release outside of the forest. The jungle Carbon is constant, a full lifecycle of 300 years can be seen, no cultivation. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 years I II III 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Carbon (t⁄ ha⁄ a) CO2 Carbon storage in the forest Growth and extraction Carbon storage in the installed wood product Continuous growth through long-term use C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C

SUSTAINABILITY 9 Figure 5 – Dalston Lane in London: In this project, CLT BBS binds approx. 3,000 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent of about 1,500 flights from London to New York City. How much wood is needed to manufacture 1 m³ CLT BBS? For the manufacturing of high-quality cross laminated timber CLT BBS, only suitable boards with certain strength properties and surface qualities can be used. For this reason, about 2.3 m³ of log wood are needed for 1 m³ CLT BBS. This quantity of wood regrows alone in Austria’s forests as soon as after 2.3 seconds. But what happens with the rest of the wood? Before cutting the wood in our chip removal timber mills, the rind, which is approx. 10% of the volume, is removed from the trunk and converted into biomass directly on site in our timber mill. This biomass is converted into green electricity as well as heat for drying our woods. 58% of the log can be processed further into high-quality solid timber products. 0.7% of the volume of one log is then extracted from the wood through drying in our drying chambers. Another 20% that we convert again into milling by-products is eliminated when cutting open or planing the individual boards. Thus, no waste is created in the production of CLT BBS; the entire log is processed sensibly. As the wood additionally originates from forests that are kept under sustainable management, building solid timber houses is no problem for our forest either, quite the contrary even. Cultivated forests have even more CO2 storage capacity than non-cultivated forests, and thereby make an even bigger contribution to climate protection. 4,500 m³ binderholz CLT BBS, thus the complete Dalston Lane (see Figure 5) regrows alone in Austrian forests within just 2 hours and 52 minutes. Someone building a solid timber house thus not only does himself something good but also the forest and the entire environment. Examples of CO2 storage in buildings If 10% of all houses in Europe were built of wood, the carbon emissions would reduce by an entire 1.8 million tonnes per year (rounded 2% of the entire carbon emissions). The devastating earthquake in L'Aquila (Italy, 2009) cost 70,000 people their homes. They were to be reconstructed in high-quality and earthquake-proof construction design. binderholz CLT BBS emerged as the winner in the international tender procedure. Overall, 11,000 m³ CLT BBS were delivered and thus 29,600 m² of residential area were created. In the Austrian forest, 40 m³ of wood regrow per minute. Thus, it takes just 7 hours until the wood delivered to L'Aquila had regrown in the Austrian forest. In these 11,000 m³, 25,300 tonnes of CO2 are bound for the long term. This is as much CO2 as 1,000 Europeans or 5,000 cars per year emit on average (see Figure 6). Each cubic metre of wood that is used as substitute for other building materials, reduces the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere by 1.1 tonnes on average. When adding this to the one tonne of CO2 that is stored in the wood, approx. two tonnes of CO2 are stored overall in one cubic metre of wood. © b&k structures

SUSTAINABILITY 10 Regional character based on short distances Forestry management and the wood industry are usually staffed to greatest extent by regional employees and use the local raw material supply. Accordingly, the industry outside of the large urban centres offers plenty of jobs and occupational opportunities while it simultaneously assures a long-term regional value creation, and leads to an additional strengthening and stimulation within the regions through investment programs of the businesses. Direct transport routes in the wood harvest and short distances for the creation of wood products or their semi-finished goods additionally contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The same applies to the production of the well-known plasterboards. Transport by cableway Around 15 kilometres on roads separate the mine in Grundlsee from the plasterboard in Bad Aussee (see Figure 7). The cable car saves the environment 22,800 trips by truck each year on this route and thus more than 350 tonnes of CO2 emissions. On export transports, too, wood saves emissions because wood transports on roads become inefficient from distances of 150 km, which is why these mostly take place by railway. In addition, the exported wood contributes in the importing countries to savings of CO2 emissions – because they substitute energy-consuming building materials there as well. Consumption in everyday life – CO2 emissions FLIGHT round trip Munich – Mallorca Munich – Tenerife Munich – New York 0.5 tonnes 1.2 tonnes 2.4 tonnes TRIP BY CAR 12,000 km Small vehicle, petrol Small vehicle, diesel Off-roader SUV, petrol Off-roader SUV, diesel 2.8 tonnes 3.0 tonnes 6.7 tonnes 7.2 tonnes NUTRITION per year Heavy on meat Vegetarian Vegan 1.6 - 3.2 tonnes 0.9 - 1.8 tonnes 0.8 - 1.6 tonnes Figure 6 – CO2 consumption in everyday life Figure 7 – Cable car of the plasterboard factory in Bad Aussee | Austria

SUSTAINABILITY 11 Efficiency factor of forestry and wood In Austria, about 280,000 people earn their livelihood in the forestry and wood industry, whether directly in the forest, in sawmills or in the further wood-processing industry. This number does not even include the employees working in the industries that are merely indirectly related to the wood industry such as the timber and building material trade. A similar pattern is found in Germany with 648,000 employees alone in the wood industry. When adding up the employees of the entire cluster consisting of forestry and wood industry, the number even exceeds the number of employees in the metal and electronics industry (see Figure 8). The wood industry in Austria has approx. 1,500 businesses, of which the large majority, notably 1,200, are sawmills. The most important branches – as far as the production output is concerned – are the sawmill segment, furniture industry, construction, derived timber products segment and – how could it be different in Austria – the ski industry. Occupations and personnel requirements have strongly evolved in recent years in consequence of various technical innovations, increasing automation and progressing digitalisation. There is a correspondingly large variety of professional opportunities that are represented in the industry: the bandwidth ranges from lumberjacks and wood engineers to industrial clerks and IT specialist and even includes controllers, lawyers and marketing experts. Figure 8 – Employees in the cluster of forestry & wood in Germany. Cluster of forestry & wood Thousands of employees Mechanical & plant engineering 978 841 742 648 434 Forestry Printing & publishing Timber industry 1.107 Electrical engineering & electronics industry Automotive industry Timber industry Chemicals & pharmaceuticals industry 800 900 1.000 1.100 1.200 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 Cluster Forst & Holz Tausend Beschäftige Manschinen- & Anlagenbau 978 841 742 648 434 Forstwirtschaft Druckerei & Verlage Holzwirtschaft 1.107 Elektrotechnik- & Elektronikindustrie Automobilindustrie Holzwirtschaft Chemie- & Pharmaindustrie 800 900 1.000 1.100 1.200 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

SUSTAINABILITY 12 Great value, big benefit The German milling industry quantifies the annual turnover of its 2,000 businesses at rounded EUR 5 billion. In the year 2017, the sustainable overall annual wood harvest of the German forestry was at around 53 million solid cubic metres of wood without rind. Of this, about 35 million solid cubic metres of logs were cut and processed further by the German sawmill industry. In Austria, the overall timber industry earns EUR 6.12 billion per year. More than 70% of the domestic products are exported – primarily to other EU countries, the major part of which goes to the neighbouring countries Germany and Italy. With an export surplus of EUR 3.08 billion, the Austrian timber industry is practically at even par with tourism as a source of foreign currency. Of the more than 17 million harvested solid cubic metres without rind, which are harvested annually in Austrian forests, the largest part initially goes to the sawmill industry, which conditions the raw log product for the processing sectors such as the furniture manufacturers or the construction industry. 63% of the annual pinewood harvest with 14.57 million harvested solid cubic metres goes to the sawmills, 16% are used in the industrial timber segment and 21% are used energetically (see Figure 9). The pinewood use of 98% in the sawmill industry is substantially above that of hardwood at 2%. Similar as in the German timber industry, the Austrian timber industry is also reliant on imports of log wood so as to be able to cover the rising demand. Figure 9 – Wood harvest in Austria in cubic metres harvested without rind, wood harvest report for the year 2015. Energie Industrieholzbereich Sägewerke 21% Energy 16% Industrial wood segment 63% Sawmills 66% Ene 24% Ind 10% Saw 63% 16% 21% Energie Industrieholzbereich Sägewerke 21% Energy 16% Industrial wood segment 63% Sawmills 66% Energy 24% Industrial wood segment 10% Sawmills 63% 16% 21%

SUSTAINABILITY 13 The zero-waste principle of binderholz The top priority of binderholz is to use the raw material wood in the optimal way. At binderholz, therefore, every part of the log is assigned to its most efficient use that is most sparing on resources. This way, the lumber from the sawmill is processed further into the constructive solid timber components such as solid wood panels, gluelam or cross laminated timber CLT BBS that is used in modern timber construction. To extend the useful life, the so-called cascade of timber products, additional possibilities for use are offered: The by-products that arise from the lumber production, such as the rind, wood chips or sawdust can be used as energy carriers for a climate-neutral generation of electricity and heat in biomass heating plants or they can be purchased in the form of pellets and briquettes as biofuels for private households. As an additional possibility for use of these by-products, further processing in the wood material and pulp industry suggests itself. Thus, the log is used to 100% and no waste burdening the environment is created (see Figure 10)! Highly skilled timber construction businesses, wood construction engineering offices and architects bring the lumber generated this way to the best possible use in the construction sector – creating energy-efficient timber houses, multi-storey residential projects or even high-rises made of wood! Figure 10 – Zero-waste principle 100% SUPPLY OF ALL PRODUCTION PLANTS BY OUR OWN SAWMILLS BUILDING INDUSTRIE TRADE PROCESSOR DIY CONSUMER Lumber Profiled timber Planed timber Garden wood SAWING PRODUCTS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS binderholz CLT BBS binderholz Glulam GLT Solid structural wood KVH® Solid wood panels SAW MILLS RECYCLING THERMIC USE RE-USE BIOFUEL SAWING BY-PRODUCTS Green electricity Community heating Densified biofuels Horse litter Pressboard pallets and pressed pallet blocks Solar energy Atmosphere FORESTRY SERVICE PROVIDER REFORESTATION

SUSTAINABILITY 14 Timber construction in facts and figures Every 40 seconds, enough wood regrows in the Austrian forests so that a complete single-family home could be built from it. It takes one second for one cubic metre of wood to regrow in Austria. This would be sufficient building material for 2,160 single-family houses per day. In one year, enough wood for 788,400 houses grows in Austria without harvesting from existing forests. According to the latest state of knowledge, timber buildings can be constructed up to 20 storeys high. One of the highest residential timber buildings of the world with nine storeys is located in London and was built in 2008 already by an Austrian company: the Dalston Lane. International studies attest to a great future of timber construction. While the ecological component has been decisive until recently, strong economic arguments are now increasingly coming into play. This thesis is underpinned by the already high timber construction quotas in various countries and the continuously rising portion of timber in the construction industry (see Figure 11). Figure 11 – Timber construction quotas of select countries, Holzforschung [Timber Research] Munich Wood construction quota, new building The portion of homes where construction uses primarily wood as building material. 40% Future in Germany? 15% currently in Germany 15% Germany in 1991 15% in Austria 50% in Scandinavia 50% in the USA Sensible material combination Already an increase of the wood portion per building means active climate protection. © www.christof-reich.com

SUSTAINABILITY 15 Timber construction: Wood and its benefits Wood is the most frequently selected building material when it is about low-energy and passive houses. And this is for a good reason as experts know. Wood accomplishes to fulfil the building physical requirements to the greatest extent. Many people decide in favour of wood because of its room climate characteristics: the pleasant surface temperature and the ability to balance temperature and humidity peaks. Wood has a positive effect on people’s well-being and thus on their health – this, too, is an economic factor. Projects such as the reconstruction of the region struck by the earthquake around L’Aquila in Italy impressively prove the capacity of the solid timber system construction design. Of all building materials, wood has the best ratio of weight to load-bearing capacity. It is not only suitable for realising buildings of solid timber construction on particularly difficult parcels of land, for example, on mountain ridges in Zillertal of Tyrol, but also for constructing roof structures on pre-war houses in Vienna’s city centre. Building redevelopment: renovating, modernising and densifying with wood For building redevelopments, solid timber construction in combination with dry construction systems offers big advantages compared to other building materials given the possibility for pre-fabrication and the related short construction periods, the low weight, the positive CO2 balance and the ecological profile. The thermal renovation of buildings has been sponsored for many years by states and municipalities. Structural improvements are considered to be an effective means to reduce the emission of CO2. Well-insulated building parts made of solid timber, which can be installed on site within a short time, represent an interesting alternative to the common methods. In densely populated cities, there are hardly any open areas available for new buildings. Existing buildings offer greatest potential for modernisation and re-densification. Construction designs for the inventory are in demand that can be implemented efficiently, quickly, without a lot of disruption and with precision. Timber construction in various pre-fabrication stages offers solutions for this (see Figure 12). The use of solid, pre-fabricated building elements made of CLT BBS saves long construction periods on site and thereby results in less disruptions of the operating processes or the residential surroundings. After all, besides residential construction, especially also public buildings such as schools, child care centres and administrative buildings are in need of being renovated while they are open for business. Here, the use of building parts that are to the greatest extent pre-fabricated has decisive advantages. Figure 12 – Building redevelopment with wooden elements, proHolz Austria Addition of storeys Vertical densification of the existing building using reserves of the existing load-bearing structure Annex building Spatial expansion in horizontal direction Filling Spatial closure of construction gaps Shell Improvement and/or replacement of the existing building shell (roof/wall) for energetic modernisation

SUSTAINABILITY 16 Efficiency of solid timber buildings The high degree of internal pre-fabrication in the manufacturing of timber construction elements permits a standardised production that is independent of the weather in steady and verifiable quality. Even humidity and temperature is prevalent in the production halls. The assemblers work in good framework conditions while the following trades such as electrical and sanitary installations are prepared to the point that the construction progress moves ahead in a coordinated and swift manner. In addition, the processing of the construction site is simplified, as the wooden elements are delivered on time and unnecessary waiting times can thereby be avoided. The lower deadweight of the timber structures reduces the construction effort for the building foundation and baseplates. The construction site equipment can be kept at a minimum and the logistics expense is lower. The dry construction design of the timber structures reduces the construction periods significantly, as the drying times for brickwork or screeds are eliminated. Thus, an exactly calculable construction period can be determined, which enables using the buildings sooner and which, in turn, reduces the financing periods. High efficiency through CLT BBS The savings of time through timber construction of binderholz CLT BBS can be substantial in the construction of large-volume buildings. The high degree of pre-fabrication drastically shortens the construction phase for large-scale projects because carrying wall elements merely have to be aligned and conjoined with each other. Based on their comparably low weight, these pre-fabricated timber elements can have very large dimensions. © Daniel Shearing

SUSTAINABILITY 17 Ecobalance and cascade use of wood An ecobalance lists all processes that are relevant in terms of the environment and which arise throughout the lifecycle of products and materials. This includes, among other factors, emissions arising in the transport of semi-finished goods or that result from the energy generation for the production. The system limits of an ecobalance can vary depending on the product type and the product lifecycle (see Figure 13). Figure 13 – System limits in the construction wood production, Zuschnitt 65, proHolz Austria Product lifecycle and utilisation cascade Phase 1 – production chain: from the tree to the product During the entire production covering the harvesting of the trees, the manufacturing, processing of the products (sawing, surface treatment, assembly, etc.) and the transport to the construction site, as well as assembly, the energy expended (the so-called “grey energy”) is much lower than for other construction methods. Environmentally relevant data for basic building materials and wood Building material Density ρ [kg / m³] Acidification potential AP [g / kg] Greenhouse gas potential GWP100 [kg CO2-eq / kg] Primary energy concentration PEI relative to mass [MJ / kg] Bricks – honeycomb brick 1200 0.541 0.19 2.5 Reinforced concrete 2400 0.55 0.167 1.22 Wood – spruce lumber, planed, techn. dried 450 1.51 -1.63 3.21 Wood – solid wood panel PF 3 layer 450 2.25 -1.38 7.58 outside of system limits zuschnitt 65.2017 6 7 Kreislauf Holz Warum bezeichnet man Holz als klimaneutral? Im Rahme er Ökobila z wird i im Gebäude gebundeneMenge des Kohlenstoffs nachgewiesen und in der Erstellungsphase (A) mit negativem Vorzeichen angerechnet. Bei Beseitigung des Gebäudes oder einzelner Teile des Gebäudes wird der Kohlenstoffspeicher aufgelöst und bei der Entsorgung (C) werden die Treibhausgasemissionen für die Verbrennung berechnet. Die negative Anrechnung in der Herstel - lung und die Anrechnung der Treibhausgasemissionen in der Entsorgung gleichen sich somit us. In diesem Zusammenh ng wird deshalb oft vereinfachend von der Klimaneutralität von nachwachsenden Rohstoffen gesprochen. Die Klimaneutralität von Holz in Bezug auf die CO 2-Bilanz kann nur durch Holz aus nachhaltiger Bewirtschaftung vorausgesetzt werden. Gibt es noch andere positive Effekte durch das Bauen mit Holz? Zusätzlich zur temporären Speicherwirkung des biogenen Kohlenstoffs kann durch den Einsatz von Bauprodukten aus na-chwach senden Rohstoffen Material aus endlichen Ressourcen wie Kunststoffen und Metall, ber auch aus mineralischen Fraktionen ersetzt werden. Dieser Vorgang wird Substitution, also Austausch oder Er-satz ge nannt. Das Substitutionspotenzial variiert je nach Umweltindikator. Der Grad der Substitutionswirkung, der durch die Ver - wendung von Produkten aus nachwachsenen Rohstoffen erreicht wird, lässt sich durch die Wahl der Materialien der Primär - konstruktion, aber auch des Ausbaus (Fenster, Türen, Böden und Fassadenverklei - dung) maßgeblich steuern. Aus einem in Veröffentlichung befindlichen Forschungs - bericht 1 ergibt sich z. B. für den Indikator gwp ein Redukti nspotenzial von 22 bis 50Prozent bei einemEinfamilienhaus oder 9 bis 48 Prozent bei einem Mehrfamilienhaus, je nachdem wie ökologisch die Materialien in der Konstruktion sind. Kommt es beim Bauen mit Holz nicht auch auf Ressourceneffizienz an? Wenn ein großer Kohlenstoffspeicher zum Erreichen von Klimaschutzzielen beiträgt, de tet zunächst alles auf eine möglichst großzügige Verwendung von Holz und Holzwerkstoffen hin. Im Sinne einer res - sourceneffizienten Nutzung des Materials und des sinnvollen Einsatzes von H- olzkon struktionen darf dieser Schluss jedoch nicht voreilig getroffen werden. Für jede Bauaufgabe sollte aufs Neue die- Abwä gung zwischen umfassendem KohlenstoffSpeicher und ressourcen- sowie material - effizientem Einsatz von Holz getroffen werden. Die Optimierung wird nach statischen, brandschutztechnischen, -energe tischen, ökonomischen und innenraumklimarelevanten Kriterien immer einen Kompromiss darstellen. Jede Konstrukt onsart wird hierbei zu einem anderen Optimumführen. Annette Hafner Architektin und Junior-Professorin für Ressourceneffizientes Bauen an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, davor langjährige Tätigkeit und Promotion an der tu München (Lehrstuhl für Holzbau und-Baukon struktion). Forschungsschwerpunkte Ökobilanzierung, Bauen mit Holz und Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung. Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat für Waldpolitik des Bundesministeriums für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, Berlin. 1 Treibhausgasbilanzierung von Holzgebäuden – Umsetzung neuer Anforderungen an Ökobilanzen und Ermittlung empirischer Substitutionsfaktoren, Abschlussbericht zum Forschungsprojekt thg-Holzbau, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 2017 . Lebenszyklus eines Gebäudes nach din en 15978 und din en 15804 second life A A B C D Product A1 Raw material provisioning A2 Transport A3 Production Construction process A4 Transport A5 Construction/ Installation Use B1 Use B2 Maintenance B3 Repair B4 Replacement B5 Conversion/Upgrading B6 Operating energy use B7 Operating water use End of the lifecycle C1 Demolition C2 Transport C3 Waste management C4 Landfilling Credits and debits, potential for reuse, recovery and recycling cradle to gate Components of EPD (Enviromental Construction Product Declaration), the basis for the calculation of ecobalances cradle to grave CO2 C C C C C © www.christof-reich.com

SUSTAINABILITY 18 Phase 2 – use: Energy requirement During the use, energy consumption, and the maintenance and repair of a building play a key role. In heat insulation, timber houses are at the highest standard. By nature, wood has air-filled cells whereby heat and cold are conducted to substantially lesser extent than in other building materials. During the winter, the cold penetrates only to insignificant extent and during the summer the heat is kept outside. Even in the standard construction design, timber houses keep effortlessly within the consumption values mandated by law. With sufficient insulating layers, the passive and 3-litre construction design is easily realised with the timber house. The low residual energy requirement enables a correspondingly small dimensioned heating system. According to the Austrian standard ÖNORM B 2320 a useful life of at least 100 years can be expected for timber houses constructed professionally. Phase 3 – recycling, sorted dismantling and demolition The recycling capacity of buildings and building materials is becoming increasingly important due to the future shortage of resources. The waste of residual construction masses consisting of construction rubble and concrete debris is around 5 million tonnes per year, which accounts for 18% of the entire construction waste. In the analysis of the waste accumulated during dismantling, a reduction of the waste volume is indicated with the increasing application of timber construction designs. Furthermore, the wastes resulting from this indicate a high potential for utilising the material and the energy, whereas the utilisation efficiency can be further raised through the development of construction designs that are appropriate for recycling. The aspiration of integrating the installed elements and components as far as possible in another constructive lifecycle is therefore closely suggested. Here, the monolithic and homogeneous construction design of cross laminated timber CLT BBS must be considered to be very advantageous, as it omits an additional material separation. “Today’s” choice of materials thus affects “tomorrow’s” wastes, which is why it must already be ensured in the planning process that materials are installed in such a way that they are easily available and broken down at the end of the lifecycle, and so that they can be used in the optimal way in terms of their components (“design for recycling”) or for energetic purposes (“design for energy”). In this connection, the timber construction design has an advantage, as wood can be manipulated more easily and be demounted ideally and be re-used as a complete component in high quality. The lifecycle will then start over again. This way, a timber house that is dismantled after its use does not leave any non-recyclable rubble but useable wood. Individual components or elements can be re-used or be returned to the manufacturing process. The remaining wood is added to energetic use. This way, the CO2 continues to remain bound in each piece of installed wood and it thereby does not reach into the atmosphere for until the wood is used thermally in the last recycling step.

SUSTAINABILITY 19 DRY CONSTRUCTION WITH SAINT-GOBAIN RIGIPS AUSTRIA Saint-Gobain is one of the oldest industrial enterprises of the world. As a sustainable building materials company, it takes its role-model function very seriously. The focus in the future as well will be on the sustainable and affordable structural engineering. At the same time, Saint-Gobain is also increasingly dedicated to building certification to offer practicable and sustainable solutions. The global challenge of the shortage of resources plays a likewise significant role besides energy efficiency. For Rigips, particular attention is paid in this regard on reducing specific consumptions and supporting recycling management. Objectives In the subject of sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations will set the keynote in the future. SaintGobain Rigips Austria has evaluated all 169 sub-goals (see Figure 14) for potential effects on the core business. These results are a part of the business strategy. Figure 14 – Central goals of Rigips Austria Chance Impact

SUSTAINABILITY 20 Gypsum - the raw material Rigips Austria is aware of the great responsibility the construction industry has towards the environment. During the entire production process and in the product lifecycle, measures are taken specifically to minimise the effects on the environment. Gypsum has been used as a building material for more than 5,000 years. The natural stone occurring as a raw material is recyclable to 100% and for infinitely many times, and it is harmless to the skin as well as fire-resistant. The production process (see Figure 15) is completely reversible: through dehydration, water is extracted from the rough stone and gypsum powder is created. When water is added to the gypsum powder, you will receive gypsum again. Figure 15 – Production process of Rigips Austria Recycling Installation Logistics Production End of the lifetime Lifetime of the building Raw material

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