Quebec’s Cecobois Launches New Campaign to Promote Wood Construction

Quebec-based Cecobois, an independent nonprofit agency funded by the Quebec government, Natural Resources Canada, and the wood industry, is dedicated to accelerating mass timber construction and expanding the use of wood products.

The agency has launched an ambitious campaign to promote wood as a viable, low-carbon material for future construction projects in Quebec, Sustainable Biz Canada reported (2-18-25).

The initiative, Construction bas carbone avec le bois—low-carbon Construction with wood, or CBCB—encourages architects, engineers, and property developers across the province to increase their use of wood in new buildings as part of broader efforts to decarbonize the built environment.

In an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada, Cecobois Director Louis Poliquin emphasized the environmental benefits of wood construction: “We’ve been working for several years to promote wood as an eco-friendly, low-carbon solution for the building sector. A wood structure generates at least 30% less carbon than a steel or concrete building, and that figure can reach 60–75% depending on the project.”

Poliquin added that Cecobois is developing a comprehensive database to document these carbon reductions and demonstrate the feasibility of mass timber construction. “This approach is practical, achievable, and something we shouldn’t delay any longer,” he said.

Beyond its environmental advantages, mass timber construction supports prefabrication, simplifies foundation work, reduces the need for reinforced concrete in load-bearing structures, and improves thermal insulation.

Alongside the launch of the CBCB campaign, Cecobois has also secured CA$1.2 million in new funding from the Government of Quebec as part of its Policy on the Integration of Wood in Construction.