Gresham House explores how climate change, urbanization, and decarbonization are reshaping global timber demand, with a focus on structural wood like coniferous sawnwood. The paper argues demand could rise 50–80% by 2050 while supply remains constrained, setting up a structural imbalance that may reshape pricing, investment dynamics, and timber’s role in portfolios.
Global Timber Outlook 2020
Gresham House
Research
60 Pages
Key Takeaways
Demand Growth Acceleration: Timber demand is projected to increase 50–80% by 2050, driven by housing, urbanization, and net zero policies favoring wood over steel and concrete.
Supply Constraint Reality: Supply may only grow ~10% from 2022 levels, creating a widening gap versus demand that could pressure global timber markets structurally.
Structural Demand Supply Gap: Even optimistic scenarios show supply rising ~1.1x versus 1.5–1.8x demand growth, reinforcing a persistent imbalance across long-term projections.
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