Zurich-based Timber Carbon has announced the launch of what it describes as the first AI-powered infrastructure enabling carbon removals in the building sector to be traded on carbon markets.
The system, developed over three years, has been used in over 90 buildings, storing over 72,000t of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to the company.
The technology connects the emissions-intensive building industry to carbon markets by making the carbon stored in buildings a tradable asset.
Timber Carbon plans to finance its international expansion with its first funding round.
Unlike existing building certifications, which help projects meet regulatory requirements through fee-based labels, Timber Carbon’s platform has a different focus. It certifies and connects the long-term carbon storage in bio-based construction materials to global carbon markets.
Timber Carbon states that the infrastructure allows real estate firms to assign economic value to the use of materials such as timber and to monetise the carbon stored this way.
The company’s AI-driven system is designed to automate each step of the process, from gathering construction data and calculating region-specific carbon storage to independent certification, credit issuance, sales and ongoing monitoring.
Timber Carbon says that building components are also documented in detail, supporting future reuse in practices such as the circular economy and urban mining.
Firms can count the generated credits towards their own climate targets, known as insetting, or sell them on the voluntary carbon market as offsets.
Timber Carbon Removal Credits are certified under the international Rainbow Standard, which has been approved as CCP-Eligible by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM).
Recognition under the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation is expected by the end of 2026.
The building sector is responsible for approximately 36% of global CO₂ emissions, with a third attributed to construction materials.
Regulatory changes in regions such as the EU, France, the UK and Switzerland are increasing focus on embodied carbon and life-cycle emissions.
Timber Carbon reports that its projects, concentrated in German-speaking countries, have also avoided 65,000t of CO₂ emissions by using timber instead of concrete or steel.
