Within the framework of HAWAEXPO 2026, at the forum “Green Transition – A Prerequisite for Vietnam’s Wood Industry to Advance in the Global Value Chain,” held on the afternoon of March 6, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, David Baggs — CEO and co-founder of Global GreenTag International — presented insights into the evolving requirements of international markets for building materials in the context of the green transition. His presentation went beyond broad trends to illustrate how global projects are increasingly selecting materials based on carbon data, occupant health considerations, and product transparency.
According to the presentation, green building rating systems such as Green Star, LEED, WELL, EarthCheck and the IS Rating Tool are playing an increasingly decisive role in shaping material selection for large-scale projects. While cost, durability and aesthetics once dominated decision-making, international projects today increasingly require verifiable data on embodied carbon, VOC emissions, chemical composition and supply chain transparency. In this context, third-party certification, life cycle assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming foundational to procurement processes rather than relying solely on manufacturer claims.
Within green building frameworks, controlling VOC emissions remains a critical requirement. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are chemicals that readily evaporate at room temperature and are released into indoor air. They are commonly found in paints, adhesives, coatings, composite materials, engineered wood products and finishing materials. Certain VOCs — such as formaldehyde, benzene and toluene — may cause eye and respiratory irritation, affect the nervous system, and are associated with longer-term health risks under prolonged exposure. As a result, rating systems including LEED, WELL and Green Star set specific emission thresholds for materials used in buildings. For the wood sector in particular, VOC performance is closely linked to adhesives, binders and surface finishes, making emissions control both a technical requirement and a key condition for participating in international projects.
Another significant shift is that markets no longer assess materials at a generic level but increasingly evaluate individual products based on carbon data. In practice, two products made from the same material can have very different carbon footprints depending on manufacturing technology, energy sources, logistics and country of origin. This has made generic carbon benchmarks less relevant for design and procurement decisions. In real-world applications, EPDs are now integrated into building simulation software to calculate whole-building embodied carbon, identify carbon “hotspots,” and optimise material choices at early design stages. As a result, technical data is becoming a far more decisive competitive factor than it was in the past.
Within this evolving landscape, bio-based materials — particularly wood — hold clear inherent advantages. With its carbon storage capacity, relatively low embodied carbon intensity, and strong performance in indoor environmental quality, wood aligns well with contemporary rating criteria, especially in office, hospitality, healthcare and high-quality residential developments. However, markets are no longer comparing “wood versus other materials,” but rather comparing individual products based on verified carbon performance. This means wood’s natural advantages are only realised when supported by transparent data and robust measurement systems.
From the perspective of Vietnam’s structural wood sector, this shift carries strategic implications. As procurement decisions increasingly rely on carbon metrics and technical transparency, developing LCA capability, producing product-specific EPDs, and strengthening data disclosure practices will become essential for participation in global supply chains. At the same time, this transition presents an opportunity to reinforce structural wood’s position as a viable low-carbon material solution, particularly as substitution away from high-emission materials becomes more pronounced.
Overall, green building rating systems are driving a fundamental transformation across the global construction industry. In this evolving context, data matters more than claims, transparency outweighs perception, and carbon performance is emerging as a core dimension of competitiveness. For Vietnam’s wood and building materials sectors, adapting to these requirements represents not only a technical and financial challenge, but also a significant opportunity to strengthen competitiveness and positioning in a rapidly changing global market.