Timber Carbon Launches AI Platform as 90 Buildings Store Over 72,000 Tonnes of CO2

Swiss climate technology company Timber Carbon has launched an AI-powered platform designed to turn carbon stored in timber buildings into certified, tradable carbon removal credits. Announced in Zurich on 20 October 2026, the international launch follows three years of development and the establishment of a portfolio covering more than 90 buildings across German-speaking Europe. According to the company, these buildings collectively store over 72,000 tonnes of CO2, while the use of timber in place of conventional construction materials has avoided an additional estimated 65,000 tonnes of emissions.

Timber Carbon describes its technology as the world's first AI-powered infrastructure connecting building-related carbon removals directly with carbon markets. The platform aims to create a financial incentive for developers to use sustainably sourced timber and other biobased materials by assigning a tradable value to the carbon stored within completed buildings. The company is also preparing its first funding round in the fourth quarter of 2026 to support international expansion.

 

Turning Carbon Stored in Buildings into Tradable Credits

 

Timber Carbon's platform automates several stages of the carbon removal certification process, including construction data collection, location-specific carbon calculations, documentation, registration, credit issuance and ongoing monitoring. Independent certification remains part of the process. By bringing these activities together, the company aims to simplify the administrative work required for property developers to participate in carbon markets.

Timber absorbs carbon dioxide during tree growth, and some of that carbon remains stored when harvested wood is incorporated into buildings. Timber Carbon's model seeks to quantify this storage and convert eligible removals into credits that developers can retain for their own carbon accounting or sell through the voluntary carbon market. The platform also maintains records of building components, which could support future reuse and material recovery when structures are renovated or dismantled.

 

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Carbon Storage and Avoided Emissions Require Separate Accounting

 

The company reports two distinct environmental outcomes across its portfolio: more than 72,000 tonnes of CO2 stored in building materials and approximately 65,000 tonnes of emissions avoided through the substitution of concrete and steel. These figures describe different climate benefits and should be assessed separately. Carbon storage relates to the carbon retained in biobased materials, while avoided emissions depend on comparisons with alternative construction methods and materials.

Establishing credible removal credits also requires evidence that carbon storage is additional, measurable and sufficiently durable. The long-term treatment of timber matters because carbon can eventually return to the atmosphere through decomposition, combustion or other end-of-life processes. Although Timber Carbon's platform includes ongoing monitoring, the announcement does not disclose the duration of credited storage, the number of credits already issued or the volumes sold to buyers. These details will help determine the platform's measurable impact as commercial activity expands.

 

Certification Standards and Carbon Market Integrity

 

Timber Carbon's credits are certified and registered through the Rainbow Standard, which received programme-level eligibility under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market's Core Carbon Principles in March 2026. This recognition establishes that the programme meets specified governance, transparency and verification requirements. However, programme eligibility does not automatically mean every credit issued through Rainbow qualifies for the CCP label. The relevant carbon crediting methodology must also receive approval.

Timber Carbon also anticipates recognition under the European Union's Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework by the end of 2026. That recognition remains prospective. Ludovic Chatoux, CEO of Rainbow Standard, welcomed the launch, stating, "Construction is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and Timber Carbon shows what it takes to get it right." For developers and credit buyers, the important next steps will be demonstrating how individual projects meet certification requirements and how their environmental claims can be verified over time.

 

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European Building Regulations Increase Attention on Embodied Carbon

 

The launch comes as European building regulations place greater emphasis on lifecycle emissions and the carbon intensity of construction materials. Under the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, larger new buildings will face lifecycle global warming potential disclosure requirements from 2028. France has already introduced embodied carbon limits through its RE2020 framework, while voluntary building standards and certification systems increasingly assess material-related emissions.

These developments create incentives for developers to examine alternatives to emissions-intensive construction materials. Timber Carbon's approach adds a potential revenue source linked to verified carbon storage, which could influence investment decisions in favour of biobased construction. Valentin Wiesner, Managing Director of WIEHAG Timber Construction, said, "Until now, the climate performance of timber buildings has been economically invisible." He argued that making this performance certifiable and tradable could change discussions with property developers about construction material choices.

 

International Expansion and Commercial Development

 

Timber Carbon has developed its initial portfolio with projects and partners across German-speaking Europe. Its clients and business partners include Swiss Prime Site, PRIMUS and WIEHAG, while the company's development has received support from Built by Nature and the Migros Pioneer Fund. Timber Carbon is planning its first funding round in the fourth quarter of 2026, although it has not disclosed the amount it intends to raise or the markets it will prioritise for expansion.

The platform introduces a financing model in which the environmental performance of building materials could generate income beyond the property's conventional commercial value. Its wider adoption will depend on credible carbon accounting, independently verified certification, demand for removal credits and whether the additional revenue meaningfully influences construction decisions. The reported portfolio demonstrates an initial project base, but the next measure of success will be how effectively Timber Carbon converts documented storage into credible, marketable credits while maintaining confidence in their long-term environmental benefits.

 

Source: Timber Carbon