2 3 4 5 https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-fr https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-sv https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-pl https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-es https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-eu https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-sl https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-fi https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-it https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-nl https://doi.org/10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040-de WoodCircus White Paper 2040 European woodworking industries are the green engine of sustainable growth 3 Decarbonising the economy requires a major shift towards circular and carbon neutral production processes, products, construction, and material use. Simply put, this cannot be ac- complished without increased, smart, and sustainable use of natural materials like wood. European woodworking industries are pioneers of circularity and carbon neutrality. Circular practices are applied throughout entire wood-based value chains via processing and material efficiency, circular design, material cascading, and well-implemented reuse and recycling strategies. Despite the strengths of the woodworking industries, the con- struction sector in Europe generates approximately 70,5 million tons of wood waste annually1, and only around one third is cur- rently reused or recycled. Construction waste and other wood sidestreams can be redirected towards innovative and smart applications to fully embed the woodworking industries in the circular bioeconomy. The transition towards circularity should be supported by new policy framework conditions, regulations, investments, and incentives that drive practical business and operational practices, partnerships, and co-creation ecosystems throughout all wood-based value chains. 1 WRING: Wood working industry recycling. EIP Raw Materials Commitment, 2016. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/eip-raw-materials/en/content/ wood-working-industry-recycling The woodworking industries are adaptable and ready for growth. This White Paper calls for targeted actions engaging all stake- holders to accelerate the transition of the woodworking industries and the entire European economy towards decarbonisation, in- clusivity, and sustainable success. WoodCircus Maxims The six WoodCircus maxims and policy recommendations are the foundation of the White Paper 2040. They advocate for the circular transition of European woodworking industries and are based on information collected from four European macro-regions: Nordic-Baltic, Central-Western, Southern-Mediterranean, and Central-Eastern Europe. Implementing the vision and recommen- dations of each maxim must consider each macro-region’s unique framework conditions, strength, and potential, calling for seam- less collaboration between stakeholders at local, national, and European levels. The WoodCircus White Paper 2040 advocates for the role of woodworking industries in the sustainable growth of Europe. Wood is the most important natural resource, prevalent in our daily lives and in the circular bioeconomy. Wood is widely used in construction, fur- niture, textiles, fuels, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and many more applications. Contributing to the goals set by the European Green Deal, Fit for 55, the New Circular Economy Action Plan, the Biodiversity Strategy, the Forest Strategy, the New European Bauhaus Initiative and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the smart use of wood becomes the driving motor of the European woodworking industries’ com- petitiveness and the well-being of the society. Picea abies Fagus sylvatica Quercus robur Acer pseudoplatanus Pinus sylvestris Betula pendula Alnus glutinosa 5 1 Building and living with wood is one of the greatest opportunities for Europe to become the global leader in sustainable, inclusive, and competitive growth. With the urgent need to decarbonise and drive the European economy’s post-COVID green recovery, the construction sector must trans- form to maximise the use of wood in renovation, new construction, infrastructure, and the whole built environment. The woodworking industries provide a unique opportunity to develop a new vision for buildings in Europe that is attractive, inclusive, affordable, and sustainable. Recommendation The Renovation Wave and New European Bauhaus are at the fore- front of guiding this transition towards a carbon neutral economy and should prioritise the use of nature-based materials. Green public procurement procedures can accelerate this transition by recognising, requiring, and rewarding the carbon storage and substitution value of wood and wood-based products. Maxim One 6 2 The woodworking industries are already highly effi- cient. High resource efficiency in the woodworking sector results in little to no waste produced during production. Nearly 100% of woodworking sidestreams can be used in horizontal production or converted to energy. This can be achieved within individual companies or through markets for secondary streams. No other sector can utilise its raw materials with as little generation of waste as the woodworking sector. Efficiency in the woodworking indus- tries can go beyond effective resource use, for example through cascading or offsite manufacturing, with targeted support and development. Well-designed reusable, recoverable, or recyclable products extend this energy and carbon efficiency, reducing the environmental impact of production, use, reuse, and recycling to unprecedented levels. Recommendation Policies and supportive regulations should equally endorse viable options to maximise resource efficiency by reuse, recycling, and/ or recovery. This will trigger new innovations and business models and provide new avenues for growth in the sector as well as en- hanced sustainability by adding value to material cycles. These actions should be supported with ambitious development and in- vestment programs at European, national, and regional levels. Maxim Two 7 3 The European woodworking industries add value through circular business operations, models, and concepts. Creating new value chains and ecosystems for efficient use of wood and wood-based products to supplement existing value chains that build on co-creation, new business concepts, and shared business models will create new jobs, drive growth, and enhance competitiveness throughout the European woodworking industries. Recommendation To unlock the full potential of the circular economy, policy makers at local, national, and European levels should develop favourable policy framework conditions, regulations, investments, and in- centives. These tools should encourage the reuse and recycling of woody biomass, enhance waste wood collection and sorting from construction & demolition sites, and improve post-consumer wood collection. Equally, these actions should support entrepreneur- ship and investment in new businesses, business models, start-ups, and risk financing, including cross-border and transnational col- laboration, industrial ecosystems, and networking. Multidisciplinary cooperation should be prioritised to bring the benefits and knowl- edge of external stakeholders into the woodworking industries. Maxim Three 8 4 A growing and dynamic woodworking industry will attract skilled, creative personnel and continually evolve, facilitating life-long learning at all levels. Modernisation and the developing circular economy have created opportunities for employee profiles and career paths within the woodworking industries that will maintain and enlarge the existing knowledge base. Educating students and providing train- ing or life-long learning for employees and entrepreneurs, at all levels along the value-chains, about the value of woodworking for future sustainability in combination with relevant technical and soft skills will add value to traditional knowledge and skills, attract entrepreneurship, and connect rural and urban development. Recommendation Public and industrial education and training programmes should implement training, work programmes and higher education that support an influx of qualified and creative employees and entre- preneurs. New study and training programmes should be co-cre- ated with industry and business actors to ensure an appropriately broad array of topics are covered while ensuring the necessary basic information is included as well. In addition, co-funded pro- motional systems that leverage EC and sectoral resources to promote the sustainable use of wood and wood-based products, will help improve the perception of the wood sector, drive increased use of wood, and encourage potential employees and entrepreneurs to explore the field. In this way, wood sector employees can know- ingly make an important contribution to landmark EU ambitions in the European Green Deal and other sustainable development strategies, thus playing a role in combatting today’s global climate emergency. Maxim Four 9 5 Multidisciplinary research, innovation and industrial transformation are key for the transition towards a carbon neutral economy. Understanding needs, nurturing knowledge, boosting development, and adopting new solutions requires a well-structured foundation of support for researchers, businesses, and industry. Connecting a wide range of woodworking industry stakeholders to co-create the next generation of solutions is necessary to meet the ambitions of the Green Deal to decarbonise the European economy. Recommendation Develop a research and innovation action plan dedicated to carbon- neutral living and building with wood and implement this plan in public funding programmes on the local, national, and European levels. Support the development of wood-based solutions within Horizon Europe, the New European Bauhaus, the Renovation Wave, and Fit-for-55 and facilitate the creation of a series of Joint Undertakings between the woodworking industries, the construc- tion sector, as well as public and private stakeholders. Maxim Five 10 6 The woodworking industries provide sustainable alter- natives for nearly any product that fit the circular bio- economy concept. The sector creates products for construction, furniture, packaging, leisure, wellbeing, and a myriad of other applications with highly efficient material use that are ready for reuse or recycling. The sector adds value at each stage of production in each life-cycle of the material. Increasing the pool of harvested wood products will extend and prolong carbon storage, thereby making an essential contribution to climate change mitigation. Recommendation To achieve the carbon neutrality goals set by the Green Deal, policies, incentives, and regulations should recognise, support, and encourage the use of wood and wood-based products to decar- bonise the European economy. Public-private collaboration at the local, national, and EU levels is necessary to find workable and ac- ceptable solutions that realize the objectives set in the European Green Deal, Fit-for-55, Biodiversity Strategy, Forest Strategy, New Circular Economy Action Plan, New European Bauhaus initiative, and UN Sustainable Development Goals. Maxim Six 11 The transition towards the circular bioeconomy requires dedicated engagement from all stakeholders. With its six Maxims, WoodCircus calls on European leaders in industry, policy, and the community to make transformative change by developing, supporting, and imple- menting strong policies and practices that underpin the vital role of the woodworking industries in green growth and carbon neutrality. Let’s unlock the potential for green growth and carbon neutrality together. WoodCircus | Logotype : Guide des normes graphiques LOGO OFFICIEL Voici le logo of ciel de WoodCircus. Le présent guide d’utilisation est un instrument de travail mis à la disposition des différents utilisateurs de l’identité visuelle de la marque. Il contient l’essentiel des normes graphiques qui en régissent l’utilisation, en vue d’assurer une image uniforme. WoodCircus – European Commission | Logotype : Guide des normes graphiques LOGO OFFICIEL Voici le logo of ciel de WoodCircus. Le présent guide d’utilisation est un instrument de travail mis à la disposition des différents utilisateurs de l’identité visuelle de la marque. Il contient l’essentiel des normes graphiques qui en régissent l’utilisation, en vue d’assurer une image uniforme. Published 1st December 2021 Publisher: WoodCircus project, 2021 Website: https://woodcircus.eu/ DOI: 10.32040/WOODCIRCUS.WHITEPAPER.2040 Design & illustration Jani Ikonen Editors: Burnard, Michael • Kleinschmit von Lengefeld, Andreas Nikolaus • Ritschkoff, Anne-Christine • Simola, Kaisa Contributors: Azkarate Zabalo, Oskar • Elvnert, Johan • Garcia Jaca, Javier • Kies, Uwe • Kuhl, Alexis • Merivuori, Kai Pajula, Tiina • Partanen, Asta • Tosi, Giovanni • Verkasalo, Erkki • Wijnendaele, Kris WoodCircus’ main goal is to promote wood-based value chains as a key part of a circular bioeconomy in Europe. This goal is pursued by studying, assessing and highlighting efficiency of wood-based value chains in the woodworking industries and the construction sector. It incorporates the mobilisation and first transformation of wood, building and construc- tion activities, production side streams, reuse and recycling aspects. Contributing to the development of sustainable societies, the transition and support of the woodworking industries will lead to more employment and well-being of the European citizens.