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Forest management,
forest products
& the climate
Forestry's significance in the carbon
dioxide balance
Growing trees capture
In combustion and composting,
carbon dioxide is emitted to the
atmosphere
Worn-out products can be
incinerated and turned into bioenergy or compost
carbon dioxide by
photosynthesis
The carbon from the carbon
dioxide is stored in
every part of the tree
Processing raw materials in the
forest based industry requires
a low input of energy
Wood-based products are
recycled and/or re-used
Replacing more energy-demanding
materials with wood-based products
produces a bonus effect
The substitution effect - one example
Timber
products
Paper products
Bioenergy
Reduced CO2 emissions
Swedish forests are
sustainably managed
 For every harvested tree, at least two new ones are
planted
 The annual growth is greater than the felling
 Nature considerations are taken in all forest
activities in order to preserve biodiversity
 The forest industry is part of the solution to further
reduce in Sweden's emissions of fossil carbon
dioxide through
 increased use of wood-based products
 increased use of the waste products from felling for
energy production
 If the growth is increased even more carbon dioxide
is captured
The forest as a carbon sink
 Growing forests capture
carbon dioxide through
photosynthesis
Emissions and absorption of carbon dioxide in
Sweden
Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry
Waste
Agriculture
Solvent and Other Product Use
Industrial Processes
Energy
Total
80
Mtonnes
CO2
The difference between
annual growth and
felling means that the
Swedish forests store a
net volume of 20-35
Mtonnes of CO2 per
year. *
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
*Sweden's reports to the UNFCCC
** 3 % of Sweden's emissions in 1990
2002
2004
2006
A maximum of 2.13
Mtonnes** may be
accounted, according to
the Kyoto agreement.
Sweden does not report
this.
Forests and the climate
– threat & opportunity
Threat


Deforestation which takes place
mainly in tropical countries leads to
carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere
According to the UN's climate panel
deforestation represents approx. 20 %
of the world's total carbon dioxide
emissions
Opportunity



Sustainable forest management with
replanting results in a net store of
carbon dioxide, thus mitigating the
greenhouse effect
Carbon is stored in the manufactured
products - increased production
results in an increased store
When -based products replace
materials that give rise to major
emissions, an even more positive
climate effect is added
Threats
Annual change in growing stocks in the period 1990 - 2005 (%)
%
China
Sweden
1,0
Europe
North
America
Forested
area
0
World – 0.2
Africa
South
America
Asia
Brazil
1,0
One fifth of the emissions caused by man originate
from deforestation and forest degradation. That is
the largest individual source of emissions.
- 4,0
Indonesia
Opportunity
An active forest management with high levels of growth
captures carbon dioxide. The volume of growing stock in the
Swedish forests have almost doubled during the past 90
years while felling has doubled. The increase is continuing.
The global potential of the Swedish forestry
model – an intellectual experiment
 Total emissions
+ 7.2
 Global forestry on the lines of
Swedish model
- 2.3
 Stop to deforestation - 0.6
 Halving of damage to forests
- 1.1
 Total
- 4.0
 Absorption in the seas and
vegetation
- 3.2
 Total
0
All of the values shown relate to
billions of tonnes of C
SWE – the potential in a climate
agreement

Sustainable forest management after the
Swedish model would contribute to a
reduction of global warming and a
developed economy. The Swedish Wood
Effect = SWE

Increasing growth in the forests

Reducing deforestation

Stimulating an increase in the use of
wood by including products in the
climate agreement.
Outcomes in Copenhagen (COP15)


Did not result in legally binding agreements or in a
framework agreement.
"The Copenhagen Accord" limits global warming
to +2oC. A fund shall be established to allow less
developed countries to develop their economies
while also reducing emissions





USD 30 billion 2010-2012
USD 100 billion a year from 2020
Reducing deforestation is addressed in the “Accord”
Continued mandate to negotiate on various
options as to how forests and harvested wood
products should be accounted.
The negotiations on stopping deforestation are
said to have made a great deal of progress but, to
come into force, are conditional on resolutions on
a general agreement.
Important questions in the continued
climate negotiations
 Measures, including financing, for
reduced deforestation
 Accounting models for evaluating the
role of the forests as regards
absorption of carbon dioxide
 Choice of model for accounting on
the store of carbon in the harvested
wood products.
Forests in the climate negotiations various options
 Gross – Net
 Net absorption/emissions of carbon
dioxide are reported for the commitment
period

Net – Net
 The net absorption/emissions for the
year in question are compared to a base
year (currently 1990)

Reference level with limitations
 The current year's net absorption/
emissions are compared to forecasted
levels
The climate-role of products
A proposal within the climate negotiations is that the
carbon stored in harvested wood products should be
accounted for. The size of that store is determined on the
basis of production volume and the product.
Timber products have the longest length of life. Paper has
a shorter length of life.
Biofuels are not accounted for, although biofuels do have a
major impact when they are replacing fossil fuels.
Recognition of harvested wood products as a carbon store
would give a positive signal and the scope to disseminate
positive Swedish experiences – SWE.
Products in the climate agreement
Including products in a new climate agreement will
create the incentive to stimulate use of wood-products.
1961
Increased production of wood
products
2009
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Increased store of carbon
in products
The products' climate-role - conclusion
Wood-based products have a huge potential for storing
carbon. If their use increases, the store will increase.
Products with a long length of life will have the greatest
impact.
There is a link between felling and products. Increased
felling leads to increased production of wood-based
products. The storage effect of the products balances
partially the reduced net absorption due to increased
felling.
The use of wood-based products also has an impact on
the climate if materials that are more energy-demanding
are replaced by timber.
Important principles for future climate
agreements
 An agreement must be based on a model
that accounts for net growth of the forests
and not historic figures or base years
 An agreement must recognize the use of
harvested wood products and the positive
impact that these products have on the
climate
 An agreement must contain initiatives for
reducing deforestation
Common acronyms in the climate
negotiations
UNFCCC = United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
COP = Conference of the Parties of the
UNFCCC. 193 countries. Subdivided into:



Annex I (industrialised countries and
developing economies)
Annex II (Developed countries that pay for
expenditure in developing countries)
Developing countries.
KP= Kyoto Protocol. 40 countries have
signed the agreement which indicates
commitments to reduce emissions.
CMP = Meeting of the Parties of the KP.
IPCC = Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. The UN's panel of research
scientists for climate change.
LULUCF = Land Use Land Use Change
and Forestry. The designation of the landuse sector in the Kyoto Agreement.
HWP = Harvested Wood Products.
REDD = Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation.
REDD + = Extension of REDD at the COP
meeting on Bali to also encompass the
preservation of biodiversity and respect for
indigenous peoples.
UN REDD = United Nations Collaborative
Programme on Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
CDM = Clean Development Mechanism.
Part of the Kyoto Agreement which permits
an industrialised country to implement
projects for reducing emissions in
developing countries. Can provide salable
emissions credits.