Carbon offsetting potential of bamboo-based construction
Dr. Edwin Zea is Senior Assistant at the Chair for Sustainable Construction ETH Zürich in Switzerland. His PhD dissertation focused on the development of simplified methodologies for the life cycle assessment of construction materials with special emphasis on bamboo-based construction materials. His work focuses on the use of bamboo as a strategy for regenerative development. He led the development of LCA datasets of bamboo-based construction materials and works on strategies for carbon accounting of fast-growing bio-based materials like bamboo. In 2023, Edwin was appointed chair of the Task Force on Bamboo Construction Bamboo of the International Organization for Bamboo and Rattan.
Carbon offsetting potential of bamboo-based construction: A case study on social housing projects in the Philippines
Affordable housing shortages and climate change in the Philippines call for greener, cheaper buildings like bamboo frame structures. Employing dynamic lifecycle assessments (DLCA) reveals that these buildings have a significantly small carbon footprint compared to conventional construction. Constructing bamboo buildings serves as a viable carbon offsetting strategy due to emissions reduction potential; economic viability and biogenic carbon storage potential. By extending the value chain from forest to homes, triplicates biogenic carbon storage. Bamboo is a regenerative material it not only provides benefits to the environment but also generates new economic dynamics and provides sustainable housing solutions for vulnerable communities.
