Wood-Mizer Sawmills Salvage Urban Timber at COP26 in Glasgow 2021

For the past few decades people have been witnessing climate changes that seem to have a growing impact on their closest environment, households, as well as their health and lifestyle. Violent storms, floods and wildfires cause terrifying damage to homes and livelihoods, whereas air pollution deteriorates the health of millions of people around the globe. Although the consequences of climate change are devastating, countries and organizations continue to unite their efforts for a better tomorrow.

In November 2021, the United Kingdom hosted a global climate summit, known as COP (Conference of the Parties), which was taking place for the 26th time. The UN Climate Summit COP26 was organized in Glasgow, Scotland and welcomed participants from nearly 200 countries including world leaders, government representatives, negotiators, as well as business members and tens of thousands of citizens. During 13 days of discussions and presentations, members of the summit agreed upon the Glasgow Climate Pact with resolutions such as – curtailing deforestation, speeding up the switch to electric vehicles, protecting and restoring ecosystems, and more.

Wood-Mizer, as a global manufacturer of sawmills and woodworking equipment, is well-focused on promoting a passion for wood and woodworking, while educating people on sustainability, ecosystem preservation, or smart management of wood resources. The company has been working for many years on various initiatives to demonstrate how sawmills can contribute to help people build their dwellings in a sustainable way, revitalize damaged areas after a disaster, or salvage urban timber from being used as firewood or compost material. At the COP26 Climate Change Event, Wood-Mizer showcased its best sawmilling equipment and methods for converting logs into a valuable building material. It was also a chance for the public to become familiar with Wood-Mizer products, ask questions about sawmilling, and discover the potential of sawmills in salvaging urban timber. The Wood-Mizer exhibition stand was located in the Sustainable Timber District which was a part of the UN Climate Summit COP26.

Scott Francisco, a visionary architectural designer with a passion for wood and an advocate of Wood-Mizer sawmills, also presented at the event. Over the years, he has set up various organizations and programs, including Pilot Projects and Cities4Forests, to educate people throughout the world. His commitment and creativity has helped showcase sustainable wood utilization alongside the benefits of portable sawmilling for the good of urban landscapes, the environment, and the ecosystem.

A prominent contributor to the success of Wood-Mizer sawmills presented in Glasgow was Keith Threadgall, a Scottish Agent of Wood-Mizer UK Dealer Office. Keith is a long-experienced representative of Wood-Mizer who deals with sales, customer service and contract sawmilling in Scotland, and cooperates closely with David Biggs, the manager of Wood-Mizer UK. His participation in operating the sawmills and interacting with the spectators meant a lot for the success of the demonstration.

Wood-Mizer sees an opportunity in the COP Climate Change Events for raising awareness on the topic of “Urban Wood Sustainability”. Every year in cities and towns, thousands of trees are being dumped as garbage, doomed to be buried on construction sites or cut up for firewood and mulch. Due to rapid climate transformations, our forests deserve a better treatment based on smart woodland management and more effective use of wood we already utilize in our households and urban environments. Wood-Mizer supports and encourages individuals, communities and businesses to make better use of urban timber, since every urban tree we salvage for lumber is one less tree that must be cut from a healthy forest.

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