Governing Carbon Efficiency. The International Regime of Standards in Wooden Construction

Abstract

One feature ofglobalisation is increasing spread of international standards. In general,standards define benchmarks and rules for production. They can stem from avariety of sources ranging from NGOs to industries and governments. Thisarticle focuses on standard setting by international standards developmentorganisations. We explore into the global regimes that govern standards forwooden products that are used in construction. Construction is one of thebiggest producers of green house gas emissions and since recently wood is beingpromoted as a means for carbon storage. We focus on the norms that internationallyare most dominant in intending to regulate sustainability and carbon efficiencyfor the use of wood in construction. Standardisation in this newly emergingfield is still under development. The article aims at drawing a comprehensivepicture of the institutionalised rules and processes that up to now areglobally most influential. In conclusion the process is best described as a “regulationof self-regulation” that takes place under the institutional umbrella of thetwo most influential private actors CEN and ISO.