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

Mtonnes
CO2

Emissions and absorption of carbon

dioxide in Sweden

*Sweden's reports to the UNFCCC

** 3 % of Sweden's emissions in 1990

The difference
between annual
growth and felling
means that the
Swedish forests store
a net volume of 2035 Mtonnes of CO2
per year. *
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 (%)

1,0

China

Swede
n
Europe

North
America

0
World 0.2

Africa

South
America

Asia

Brazil

Forested
area

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
land-use 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.