Sustainable building with wood: Ö1 Publikumsgespräch featuring IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber

The discussion will take place in German and will explore how wood, one of humanity’s oldest building materials, could play a vital role in the fight against climate change. Although buildings are responsible for around 40% of global CO₂ emissions, only about 1% of new construction today is made of wood. Yet one cubic meter of wood can store around a ton of CO₂, making it an exceptional tool for climate protection if used at scale.

Schellnhuber and Zilker will address both the opportunities and the challenges of building with wood: from fire and sound safety to innovative solutions such as lightweight prefabrication and high-rise wooden buildings like Vienna’s 80-meter HoHo tower. They will also consider Austria’s unique position, with its forests growing faster than they are harvested, and how sustainable forest management can underpin a new era of climate-friendly construction.

The event will take place at the Ringturm in Vienna’s first district, with doors opening at 17:00 and the conversation beginning at 17:30. Admission is free, but places are limited and registration is required via ORF’s backstage portal (link below). A reception will follow, offering participants the chance to exchange ideas with the speakers and other attendees. For those unable to join in person, highlights of the conversation will later be broadcast in the Ö1 program Passagen on 22 October 2025.

This is a unique opportunity to hear Schellnhuber’s perspective on one of the most pressing questions of our time: how can we transform the way we build to secure a sustainable future?

Click here to register