The use of timber in the construction sector plays two fundamental roles, both “downstream” and “upstream” of industrial wood processing. Downstream, the construction sector is responsible for 37% of global emissions, and the expansion of timber construction is rightly considered strategic as part of a decarbonization process, where the need to replace high-emission materials represents a competitive advantage for biomass products. It also enhances the quality of living spaces, as highlighted in the New European Bauhaus initiative. Upstream, the construction sector is privileged and therefore essential for providing an outlet for “Closer-to-Nature” forest management: without a market for high-quality timber from sustainably managed forests, the incentives for long-rotation seminatural forest management diminish. This second motivation is well recognised in the public procurement policies of many advanced countries and in those that promote the construction sector. These two roles are of fundamental importance but often neglected in Italian policies aimed at adding value to mountain forests.
