Use 50% Straw, Wood or Hemp to Construct Public Buildings, France Orders

In a goal to meet the nation’s climate action plan, France is requiring all new public buildings to contain at least 50% wood or other eco-responsible material – such as straw or hemp – by 2022.

The government has also announced that any buildings higher than eight stories constructed for the 2024 Paris Olympics must be completely made of timber.

“If it is possible for the Olympics, it should be possible for ordinary buildings,” says Minister for Towns and Housing Julien Denormandie.

The minister has also announced plans to create 90 new “eco-neighborhoods”  and 100 new urban farms, adding, “As a father, I prefer that what is on my children’s plates come from the local area, rather than being imported on a plane.”