Carbon Balance and Contribution of Harvested Wood Products in China Based on the Production Approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Chunyi Ji,Wenbin Cao,Hongqiang Yang,Yong Chen

doi:10.3390/ijerph13111132

Abstract

The carbon sequestration of harvested wood products (HWP) plays an important role in climate mitigation. Accounting the carbon contribution of national HWP carbon pools has been listed as one of the key topics for negotiation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. On the basis of the revised Production Approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013) (IPCC), this study assessed the accounting of carbon stock and emissions from the HWP pool in China and then analyzed its balance and contribution to carbon mitigation from 1960 to 2014. Research results showed that the accumulated carbon stock in China’s HWP carbon pool increased from 130 Teragrams Carbon (TgC) in 1960 to 705.6 TgC in 2014. The annual increment in the carbon stock rose from 3.2 TgC in 1960 to 45.2 TgC in 2014. The category of solid wood products accounted for approximately 95% of the annual amount. The reduction in carbon emissions was approximately twelve times that of the emissions from the HWP producing and processing stage during the last decade. Furthermore, the amount of carbon stock and emission reduction increased from 23 TgC in 1960 to 76.1 TgC in 2014. The annual contribution of HWP could compensate for approximately 2.9% of the national carbon dioxide emissions in China.

Highlights

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, any process, activity, or mechanism that removes carbon from the atmosphere is referred to as a “carbon sink” [1]
harvested wood products (HWP) can contribute through three main routes: using wood products as carbon stock, using biomass for energy, and substituting for energy-intensive materials [2]
This study analyzed the mechanisms of carbon sequestration, carbon emissions, and carbon substitution associated with carbon flow in HWP pools

Summary

Introduction

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, any process, activity, or mechanism that removes carbon from the atmosphere is referred to as a “carbon sink” [1]. The role of harvested wood products (HWP) in mitigating climate change has long been recognized. HWP can contribute through three main routes: using wood products as carbon stock, using biomass for energy, and substituting for energy-intensive materials [2]. Vigorous discussions about HWP in relation to climate change are ongoing and are mainly focused on approaches that account for HWP carbon pools. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has proposed three approaches for HWP carbon accounting in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories; these approaches are the stock-change approach, the atmospheric flow approach, and the production approach (referred to as PA-2006 hereafter).

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion