Forests & Forest Products
as Carbon Sinks
Led by
Forests & Forest Products
as Carbon Sinks
Forests and the
Climate Challenge
Global temperatures are increasing and science has confirmed that we must limit the rise to under
2°C in order to avoid the most serious consequences for people, the environment and economies
worldwide.
Forests cover around 30% of the Earth’s land surface, storing
and food is increasing.
approximately 638 gigatonnes of carbon. This is more that the
natural forests, it will be necessary to expand natural forests
In addition to preserving primary
total amount of carbon in the entire atmosphere. Sustainable
under sustainable management. Meeting the increased
forest management and the wise use of forest products are
demand means increasing the amount of planted forest in
currently the most practical ways to remove carbon from the
degraded areas by around 400 million hectares.
atmosphere at scale and at low cost.
However, forests are disappearing at a rate of over 13 million
hectares per annum while the demand for wood, fiber, fuel,
Forests as Carbon Sinks
WBCSD works with member companies in the forest products
value chain, from pulp and plantation businesses to the users of
forest products and suppliers to the sector. These companies
are committed to ending deforestation and eliminating illegal
wood from supply chains. By protecting forests we prevent
millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas from entering the
atmosphere and by expanding the area of forested land we
Forest Products and the Bio-economy
Forest products are key to making the transition to a more
resource efficient society. Harvesting forest-based products
sequesters carbon at the rate of 189 million tons per year
(across a variety of time scales, according to the different
products and applications).
create new carbon sinks and provide other valuable ecosystem
services.
Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative
35
Led by
Forests & Forest Products
as Carbon Sinks
Scaling up Forests and Forest Products as Carbon Sinks in the context of the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris
WBCSD and its member companies have identified Forests and
2. Innovation
and
technological
development
in
pulp
Forest Products as Carbon Sinks as a key area for collective
processing: There are currently technologies in the pre-
action on the climate challenge. In the run-up to COP21, the
commercialisation phase that reduce the emissions
work program will be developed within the context of the Low
intensity of pulp processing by up to 70%. These new
Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative (LCTPi).
applications have the potential to displace processes that
use fossil fuels, or free up surplus energy from biomass
A range of solutions are being developed and tested in different
plants that can then be used by other sectors or exported
regions. The solutions are focused on three areas:
onto electricity grids.
1. Sustainable forest management: Mechanisms to reduce the
rate of deforestation, improve degraded forest landscapes
3. Forest products: Exploring innovations such as wood
and increase the area under forest cover, especially in
areas where land degradation, watershed protection and
marginal agricultural productivity are considerations for
land managers.
composite materials, biofuels and the application of forest
products into industrial processes such as steel-making.
The group will report on mechanisms to increase the
demand for forest products that can sustain the growth
of sustainably managed forests without timber from
unsustainable sources of supply (deforestation).
Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative
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Forests & Forest Products
as Carbon Sinks
Led by
Work Program and Timeline
BASELINE
Identify the baseline of global forest
carbon stocks and levels of sustainable
production
FORESTS AND FOREST PRODUCTS 2050 VISION
Develop a shared vision with clear targets and
milestones for the greater use of forest
products from sustainably managed forests
BARRIERS, CHALLENGES, GAPS
Identify barriers and challenges to achieving the
2050 vision
BIG SOLUTIONS BEYOND BAU
Beyond business as usual actions delivered
through private and public partnerships
How to Get Involved
Matthew Reddy
Director, Forest Solutions
* [email protected]
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Led by
COP21 and the LCTPi
About COP21 and the LCTPi
In December 2015, a global climate agreement will be brokered
LCTPi is a collaborative platform, gathering together project
at COP21, the Paris Climate Change Conference. This is a key
teams and stakeholders to discuss and agree the concrete
moment for all stakeholders to contribute to decisive climate
actions that are needed. It focuses on solutions that are beyond
action.
business as usual. It is a unique opportunity to showcase how
your business can and is tackling climate change.
Launched in Lima in partnership with SDSN and IEA, LCTPi is
supported by the French Presidency of COP21 and is part of
To ensure the development and implementation of business
the Lima-Paris Action Agenda. It aims to present action plans
solutions that address climate change, we must:
at COP21 that will accelerate low-carbon technology and scale
Remove the barriers that are preventing existing solutions
up the deployment of business solutions consistent with the
from being deployed
2˚C objective.
Develop new solutions to complement existing ones
Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative
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COP21 and the LCTPi
Led by
LCTPi has several focus areas, and for each area the deliverables include:
Business oriented solution roadmaps including critical
Strengthened business and government dialogue to create
milestones
Analysis
enabling frameworks for investment
of barriers and identification of solutions,
A work program beyond Paris to ensure enduring
financial requirements, policies and PPP (public-private
implementation at scale
partnerships) opportunities that facilitate scale up
Underway
Renewables
Carbon Capture
& Storage
Energy Efficiency
in Buildings
Materials: Cement
Sustainability Initiative
Advanced Biofuels
Climate Smart
Agriculture
Forests & Forest
Products as Carbon Sinks
Low Carbon
Freight Transport
Low Carbon
Passenger Mobility
Materials:
Chemicals
Digitization
Scoping
Smart Grids
Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative
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Led by
Led by
P
Partners
http://lctpi.wbcsdservers.org/the-solution/