The Forest Solutions Group launches a new report on the greenhouse gas benefits from the forest products industry.
In the “Forest Sector Net Zero Roadmap – Phase I: Enabling the Transition to a Net Zero Economy” (2021), the group identified three key levers through which the forest sector can contribute to the global transition to net zero:
– Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
– Increasing carbon removals; and
– Growing the circular bioeconomy.
The new report “Greenhouse Gas Emission benefits from the Forest Products Industry” further explores the third lever by quantifying the contribution of five typical forest products industry activities to global climate change mitigation.
Developed by NCASI for the Forest Solutions Group, the report provides an updated science-based estimates of the amount of emissions that don’t occur because of:
- The use of biomass fuels to generate heat and power;
- The use of efficient cogeneration (combined heat and power);
- The recovery and production of recycled paper and board;
- Substitution effects from the use of forest products; and
- Substitution effects from textiles made from wood
The conclusion is clear: replacing fossil with wood-based alternatives, combined with their circular use, delivers a total annual GHG emission benefit of 2.27 Gt CO2e.
This report will form the foundation of ongoing exploration of the potential of avoided emissions delivered by forest-sector solutions, both within the sector and beyond.
We look forward to continued dialogue on this important topic and remain committed to advancing the complex field avoided emissions accounting.
