This brief is one out of a series of Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy's briefs which intend to provide independent evidence for EU policy in this field.
1. Assessing the role of the forest-based bioeconomy in mitigating climate change requires a “system-perspective”, considering all possible options: increasing carbon stocks (‘net sink’) in forest land and in Harvested Wood Products (HWPs), and using wood to substitute other materials or fossil fuels.
2. Reducing the harvest appears the easiest option to increase the net forest sink in the short to medium term (2030-2050). However, this option would have negative socio-economic impacts in the forest sector and would likely lead to a net forest sink saturation in the long term.
3. Increasing the harvest would make more wood available for carbon storage in HWPs and for material substitution. However, in the short to medium term, the potential additional benefits from HWPs and material substitution are unlikely to compensate for the reduction of the net forest sink associated with the increased harvest.
4. A further increase in the net annual forest increment, through forest management practices and new forest area, is necessary to reverse the current trend of declining sinks and thus align the contribution of the forest-based bioeconomy with the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
5. Part of this extra increment could also increase the potential for carbon storage in HWPs and for material substitution. A shift towards greater use of wood products with longer service lives and substitution benefits can enhance their climate change mitigation benefit.
6. A holistic assessment is essential to guide policies that ensure that the forest-based bioeconomy makes an effective and resilient contribution to climate change mitigation.
GRASSI Giacomo;
FIORESE Giulia;
PILLI Roberto;
JONSSON Klas;
BLUJDEA Viorel;
KOROSUO Anu;
VIZZARRI Matteo;
SANCHEZ LOPEZ Javier;
JASINEVIČIUS Gediminas;
AVRAAMIDES Marios;
Grassi, G., Fiorese, G., Pilli, R., Jonsson, K., Blujdea, V., Korosuo, A. and Vizzarri, M., Brief on the role of the forest-based bioeconomy in mitigating climate change through carbon storage and material substitution, Sanchez Lopez, J., Jasinevičius, G. and Avraamides, M. editor(s), European Commission, 2021, JRC124374.
2021-05-06
European Commission
JRC124374
