Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
stabilizing and potentially decreasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. However, natural or human-induced disturbances, such as wood har-
vesting, forest fires or land use changes, may dramatically alter these processes
determining a consistent release of GHGs back in the atmosphere.
For instance, the global Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) 2010 reported that
global wood removals in 2005 amounted to 3.4 10
9
m
3
(accounting for 0.7 % of
growing stock), roughly corresponding to 8 Gt CO
2
equivalent, of which about half
were industrial roundwood and half woodfuel. Furthermore, considering that infor-
mally and illegally removed wood, especially woodfuel, is not usually recorded, the
actual amount of wood removals is undoubtedly higher (FAO
2010a
).
Monitoring and assessing wood harvesting is relevant not only for quantifying
forest carbon budget but also to evaluate the sustainability of forest management.
For instance, countries are asked to report this information within the framework
of Forest Europe (the former Ministerial Convention on the Protection of Forests in
Europe) (MCPFE
2009
), in the Montr￩al Process (
2005
), in the framework of the
UNFCCC (
2007
) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and for the global FRA carried out
by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO
2010a
).
According to Mader (
2007
), the forest sector's carbon cycle is structured in
four major carbon pools—the forest, forest products-in-use, products disposed
in landfills and fossil fuel displaced by forest products and bioenergy in end-use
markets.
Carbon stored in forest products ensures a substantial degree of permanence in the
carbon storage and dampens flow back to the atmosphere. Moreover, the global car-
bon balance largely benefits from using wood products as substitutes for other mate-
rials requiring much more energy to be produced. In addition, when forest biomass
is used to produce energy, replacing fossil fuel, it permanently offsets the carbon
emissions from displaced fossil fuels. When product substitution is considered, wood
products can contribute to a significant reduction in the atmospheric greenhouse
emissions by generating bioenergy and displacing fossil fuel-intensive products.
According to FAO (
2010b
), when looking at the emission, sequestration and
substitution accomplished in the value chain, the use of wood products could
avoid global emissions in the atmosphere of over 150 Mt CO
2
equivalent per year.
Nabuurs et al. (
2007
) estimate that the energy derived from forest biomass could
reduce global emissions by 400 Mt-4.4 Gt CO
2
equivalent per year.
Currently, the European Union is again in the driver's seat in the implemen-
tation of a realistic policy of emission reductions and towards the closing of the
important gap of unaccounted CO
2
savings and emissions from forest-related
activity. Up until the Durban climate conference (UNFCCC), reporting assumed
the instant oxidation of all harvested biomass. HWP is now mandatory and can be
accounted based either on the current instant oxidation approach, or based on the
Production approach. However, HWP leading to deforestation will be counted as
instant oxidation. Accounting for HWP has the potential to enhance the accuracy
of reporting when and where emissions occur and to further enhance incentives
to substitute HWP products for more carbon intensive complements (e.g. steel,
cement), thus reducing GHG-emissions.
