Within a century, most commonly used building materials will be depleted. Yet there is a rapidly renewable, carbon negative – yet often overlooked – solution: giant bamboo. Because of its ability to restore degraded land, reforesting with bamboo could mitigate climate change and provide an enormous source of raw material. Furthermore, industrially processed bamboo can be used in a multitude of modern applications - not only in the building industry but also in interior design and the textile, paper, and energy industry.

Building engineer Dr. Pablo van der Lugt finished his PhD research about the environmental impact of industrial bamboo materials at Delft University of Technology in 2008. After his PhD, van der Lugt conducted various ambassador roles in the green building industry and has remained connected as guest lecturer for bio-based materials at Delft University of Technology. 

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Pablo van der Lugt: Bamboo to save the world | Pablo van der Lugt | TEDxErasmusUniversityRotterdam

Bamboo to save the world | Pablo van der Lugt | TEDxErasmusUniversityRotterdam

Giant bamboo, growing up to 1m a day, offers a carbon-negative alternative to traditional building materials, capturing CO2 rapidly.

Engineered bamboo materials boast a negative carbon footprint, outperforming sustainably sourced hardwoods and traditional materials.

Reforesting with bamboo could mitigate global CO2 emissions for a decade, offering a sustainable solution to housing and deforestation.