Commissioner Roswall highlights the role of wood in the bioeconomy

Ahead of the Competitiveness Council, where the bioeconomy was also discussed, Commissioner Jessika Roswall attended the COLI Global Summit on “Advancing Sustainable Forest-based Bioeconomy Approaches” on 23 February. In a LinkedIn post following the event, she stated: “Wood is a construction material of the 21st century.”

The Commissioner expressed strong support for the use of wood, highlighting in particular: lower CO₂ emissions across the building’s lifecycle; its strong contribution to the bioeconomy and its role as a practical step towards a circular economy.

In her remarks at the COLI event, Commissioner Roswall also referred to ongoing research and innovation in the forest-based sector, noting that projects are exploring the potential of timber–concrete composite construction, while innovative companies are transforming forestry by-products into high-value ingredients, biofuels and biomaterials.

The European Commission aims to create a supportive regulatory environment for biomaterials and bioproducts. In this context, the EU intends to promote bio-based lead markets that can deliver both environmental and economic benefits, including bio-based construction materials, textiles and plastics.