East Africa sustainable timber construction: supply and demand study

It is projected that by 2050, one billion additional people will live in African cities, all of whom will need decent housing, schools, and places to work. This means large scale development needs to happen at a pace, however, using construction materials such as concrete and steel with high embodied carbon will add to the issue of carbon emissions. 

This report looks at the part sustainable mass engineered timber (MET), a naturally low carbon material could play in decarbonising the expected construction boom in East Africa. Our research explores what supply and demand for MET in East Africa might look like and examines 20-year projections of how this could change across three different scenarios. Concerns about how this new demand can be supplied sustainably, without adverse impact on natural forest and biodiversity is also explored.