With a share of around 70% of global raw material consumption, the construction industry is one of the biggest consumers of resources today. In order to counteract this enormous environmental impact and the increasing global scarcity of resources in line with the targets set out in the EU directive on resource-efficient construction and the EU taxonomy, a fundamental rethink in the entire construction sector with regard to the recyclability of materials (circular economy), the development of sustainable and resource-efficient construction methods and integral planning in the early design stages is urgently needed, even unavoidable. The study illustrates the potential of timber construction methods in the construction sector, as well as the associated potential in terms of resource and emission savings.