Responsible timber construction: what’s happened since COP30?
Nearly 400 organisations and governments have now endorsed the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction. As the focus shifts from endorsement to implementation, this update outlines progress since COP30 and priorities for the next phase of work.
Putting the Principles into practice
The Principles for Responsible Timber Construction were developed to provide a common framework for increasing timber construction responsibly. They connect decisions about buildings and materials with sustainable forest management, whole-life carbon, material efficiency and the development of an inclusive timber bioeconomy.
Since COP30, the Principles have provided a reference point for engagement across policy, procurement, cities and industry. This has included:
- Discussions with governments and public institutions, including Brazil, Kenya and the United Kingdom, alongside engagement with the European Commission.
- Collaboration through the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership and the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate.
- A two-day exchange convened by Built by Nature and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance with Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Glasgow, Greater Manchester, Helsinki, Nantes and Stockholm. Discussions focused on how cities can use procurement, carbon criteria and project pipelines to scale timber and biobased construction responsibly.
- International workshops involving government, industry, research, certification, finance and civil society, including a session at the COLI Global Summit in Vienna.
The Principles’ Implementation Framework continues to support this work by translating the five Principles into practical strategies, actions and resources for different actors.
The Principles have also been incorporated into the Building for Forests Acceleration Plan, providing a pathway for international collaboration through to 2030. A progress report and high-level event are planned for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026.
What we are learning
Discussions since COP30 suggest that the case for responsible timber construction is increasingly understood. The challenge is applying it in practice.
Across policy, industry and the built environment, several themes are emerging. Organisations are looking for clearer entry points, practical applications for policy and procurement, and stronger evidence to support decision-making. Many are also seeking guidance that reflects different regional, market and forest contexts.
A consistent message is the need to strengthen the connection between construction demand and sustainable forest management, while creating more opportunities for organisations facing similar challenges to learn from one another.
The Principles can provide a common direction, but their value will ultimately depend on how they influence real-world decisions. The next step is understanding where that is happening, where it is not, and why.
The next phase
The next phase of the Principles will focus on understanding how they are being applied in practice and where they are delivering value. This includes documenting implementation, identifying case studies and practical lessons, and improving the resources available to support action.
There will also be a stronger focus on supporting policy and procurement activity, connecting organisations working on related challenges, and building the evidence base needed to inform international engagement.
By doing so, we aim to strengthen the link between endorsement and implementation, helping the Principles support more informed decisions across the forest and built environment value chains.
Gathering insights from endorsers
To support this next phase of work, we are gathering insights from endorsers on how the Principles are being used in practice.
We are inviting endorsers to share where the Principles have been useful, what barriers they have encountered, and what would help them apply the Principles further. We are also interested in hearing about projects, policies, tools or other examples that could inform future case studies and implementation resources.
Early-stage efforts, incomplete work and implementation challenges are just as valuable as established examples. The aim is to build a clearer picture of progress to date and identify opportunities to strengthen support for responsible timber construction.
Insights gathered through this process will inform the future development of the Principles and may contribute to reporting and engagement activities ahead of COP31.
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