03-25-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

4 lessons from the mass timber movement

The success of this green building material offers insights any leader can use to drive true innovation.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

The climate crisis demands that we rethink how we construct the built environment. Buildings account for more than 33% of global energy consumption and nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional building materials like concrete, steel, and glass are energy-intensive to produce, meaning truly sustainable buildings are difficult to achieve when we rely on the status quo.

Mass timber—engineered wood products that deliver immense structural strength while reducing environmental impact—has emerged as a compelling alternative. Swapping concrete for timber reduces embodied carbon by up to 26.5% per square foot. And the benefits go well beyond carbon metrics: Mass timber offers more efficient construction timelines, with off-site prefabrication of building components leading to quicker on-site assembly and less noise and debris. Exposed wood in indoor spaces has been linked to lower stress and improved well-being, offering another compelling reason to find an alternative to all that concrete and steel.

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