Glulam and the Circular Economy: Rethinking Construction for a Regenerative Future

India has set its sights on achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, and in pursuit of this ambitious goal, the construction industry now faces a moment of quiet reckoning.

- TBG NETWORK

With the country expected to add 2.5 billion square metres of new construction annually over the next decade, the materials we choose today will determine whether these climate goals are achieved or fall dramatically short. This realisation is reinforced by the fact that the construction sector is responsible for nearly 37% of global carbon emissions, generating over one-third of the world's waste. The way that our industry functions right now, with a linear "mine, build, trash" cycle, is not doing the environment any favours. Enter wood, specifically glued laminated timber, or glulam, a type of engineered wood poised to support a fundamental shift towards regenerative construction practices that could reshape India's built environment.