France requires public buildings to be at least 50% wood

According to the newspaper Times of London, President Macron has ordered that new public buildings financed by the French state must contain 50% wood or other organic material by 2022 under an ambitious government plan for a greener urban life.

The government announcement, made on 5 February, is part of a drive for sustainability by Mr. Macron, who wants France to set an example in the face of climate change.

Julien Denormandie the minister for cities and housing, said the plan would promote low-carbon towns “that are capable of adapting to heatwaves and floods. To show an example by the state, I am imposing on all the public entities that depend on me and which manage development to construct buildings with material that is at least 50 percent wood or from bio-sourced material.”

According to the Times, bio-sourced material can include a vegetable component such as hemp or straw.

Building works covered by the new 50% rule include urban development projects co-financed by the state and local government in Paris and 13 other cities. According to the Times, in two decades some €9 billion has been spent on these projects, which mix housing and business premises.

The Times also reports that Paris has promised to include a high level of wood in all new construction for its 2024 Olympic games. Olympic buildings of up to eight storeys must be 100% wood and if higher contain some wood in their structure.

Elsewhere in France, according to the Times, work has begun on a 16-storey 181ft all-wood building with 98 apartments in Bordeaux, which will be France’s tallest wooden construction.