Understanding the carbon Understanding the carbon footprint of wood and footprint of wood and

paper productspaper productsPresented to:Presented to:

State of California, Department of General ServicesState of California, Department of General Services EPP Task Force PCRC Paper ForumEPP Task Force PCRC Paper Forum

Wednesday, June 24, 2009Wednesday, June 24, 2009

By: Reid MinerBy: Reid MinerNCASI, Research Triangle Park, NC, USANCASI, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

With significant contributions fromWith significant contributions fromKenneth Skog, Linda Heath, and James Smith of the USDA Forest ServiceKenneth Skog, Linda Heath, and James Smith of the USDA Forest Service

And Brad Upton, Jay Unwin, and Van Maltby of NCASIAnd Brad Upton, Jay Unwin, and Van Maltby of NCASI

NCASINCASI• North American non-profit environmental North American non-profit environmental

research instituteresearch institute– Funded primarily by the forest products industryFunded primarily by the forest products industry

• Carbon and greenhouse gas activities with… Carbon and greenhouse gas activities with… – IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)– International Finance Corporation of the World Bank GroupInternational Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group– World Resources InstituteWorld Resources Institute– US Forest ServiceUS Forest Service– World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentWorld Business Council for Sustainable Development– United Nations Food and Agriculture OrganizationUnited Nations Food and Agriculture Organization– Etc.Etc.

The greenhouse gas and carbon profile The greenhouse gas and carbon profile of the US forest products sectorof the US forest products sector

• A collaborative A collaborative effort between effort between NCASI and the NCASI and the U.S. Forest U.S. Forest ServiceService

A Footprint Framework for Forest ProductsA Footprint Framework for Forest Products

1.1. Carbon in forestsCarbon in forests2.2. Carbon stored in productsCarbon stored in products3.3. Emissions from manufacturingEmissions from manufacturing4.4. Emissions associated with producing Emissions associated with producing

fiberfiber5.5. Emissions associated with producing Emissions associated with producing

other raw materials/fuelsother raw materials/fuels6.6. Emissions associated with purchased Emissions associated with purchased

electricityelectricity7.7. Transport-related emissionsTransport-related emissions8.8. Emissions associated with product useEmissions associated with product use9.9. Emissions related to product end-of-lifeEmissions related to product end-of-life10.10.Avoided emissions and offsetsAvoided emissions and offsets

The Ten CEPI Footprint ElementsThe Ten CEPI Footprint Elements

Available at www.cepi.orgAvailable at www.cepi.org

Element 1: Carbon in forestsElement 1: Carbon in forests

Carbon in sustainably managed Carbon in sustainably managed forestsforests

• Carbon stocks in managed forests go up and Carbon stocks in managed forests go up and down in response to harvesting and regrowth, down in response to harvesting and regrowth, but over long time periods and areas, carbon but over long time periods and areas, carbon stocks are relatively stablestocks are relatively stable

What is happening to forest carbon?What is happening to forest carbon?

Carbon stocks in US Forests Carbon stocks in US Forests are stable or increasingare stable or increasing

Does not include soil carbonDoes not include soil carbon

Element 1: Carbon in the forestElement 1: Carbon in the forest• Sustainable forest management practices are Sustainable forest management practices are

consistent with stable forest carbon stocksconsistent with stable forest carbon stocks• There is no evidence that the harvest of There is no evidence that the harvest of

wood for the forest products industry is wood for the forest products industry is causing forest carbon stocks to decline. causing forest carbon stocks to decline. Indeed , these stocks are stable or increasingIndeed , these stocks are stable or increasing

• This means that uptake of carbon from the This means that uptake of carbon from the atmosphere is matched by losses of carbon atmosphere is matched by losses of carbon from the forest, with a net impact at the from the forest, with a net impact at the national level of zero.national level of zero.

Element 2: Carbon in productsElement 2: Carbon in products• Much of the carbon removed from the forest Much of the carbon removed from the forest

returns to the atmosphere quicklyreturns to the atmosphere quickly– E.g. material burned for energyE.g. material burned for energy

• Some is stored in products for periods Some is stored in products for periods ranging from years to centuriesranging from years to centuries

The role of carbon in productsThe role of carbon in products• The amounts of carbon going into new The amounts of carbon going into new

products is more than is coming out of old products is more than is coming out of old products and returning to the atmosphereproducts and returning to the atmosphere– Because some products remain in use for long Because some products remain in use for long

times, andtimes, and– Because some products end up in landfills where Because some products end up in landfills where

some of the carbon remains stored for long timessome of the carbon remains stored for long times

• The growth in stored carbon represents a net The growth in stored carbon represents a net removal of carbon from the atmosphereremoval of carbon from the atmosphere

Element 2: Carbon in productsElement 2: Carbon in products

The The growthgrowth in stored carbon in stored carbon represents a net removal of represents a net removal of COCO22 from the atmosphere from the atmosphere

Element 2: Carbon in productsElement 2: Carbon in products

• The growth in carbon stored in products is The growth in carbon stored in products is equivalent to removing about 100 million tons equivalent to removing about 100 million tons of COof CO22 from the atmosphere each year from the atmosphere each year

Element 3: Manufacturing emissionsElement 3: Manufacturing emissions• More than one-half of the More than one-half of the

fuel used by the forest fuel used by the forest products industry is products industry is biomass biomass

• But fossil fuels are still But fossil fuels are still neededneeded

• Manufacturing-related Manufacturing-related emissions equal to 69 emissions equal to 69 million metric tons COmillion metric tons CO22

– Pulp and paper emissions Pulp and paper emissions equal to 58 million tons/yrequal to 58 million tons/yr

Element 4: Producing fiberElement 4: Producing fiber• Emissions from forest Emissions from forest

managementmanagement– Harvesting equipment, etc.Harvesting equipment, etc.– Small part of footprintSmall part of footprint

• Very few emissions Very few emissions required to process required to process recovered fiberrecovered fiber

• Total estimated to be 4.2 Total estimated to be 4.2 million metric tons COmillion metric tons CO22 equivalents per year.equivalents per year.

Element 5: Non-fiber inputsElement 5: Non-fiber inputs• Producing forest Producing forest

products requires products requires chemicals and other chemicals and other inputsinputs

• The production of The production of these releases GHGsthese releases GHGs

• Estimated to be 24 Estimated to be 24 million metric tons of million metric tons of COCO22 equivalents per equivalents per yearyear

Element 6: Purchased powerElement 6: Purchased power• The industry generates much The industry generates much

of the electricity it needsof the electricity it needs– Most by co-generation which Most by co-generation which

is much more efficient than is much more efficient than methods used by power methods used by power companiescompanies

• But some must be purchasedBut some must be purchased• Emissions associated with Emissions associated with

the power purchased by the the power purchased by the industry equal to 43.6 million industry equal to 43.6 million tons COtons CO22 per year. per year.

Element 7: TransportElement 7: Transport• Raw materials, intermediate products, final Raw materials, intermediate products, final

productsproducts• Transport-related emissions estimated to be Transport-related emissions estimated to be

19.6 million tons CO19.6 million tons CO22 per year per year

Element 8: Emissions during useElement 8: Emissions during use

• Forest products are not refrigerators, TVs or carsForest products are not refrigerators, TVs or cars• Essentially zero emissions during useEssentially zero emissions during use

Element 9: End-of-lifeElement 9: End-of-life• Over 50% of paper is Over 50% of paper is

recovered for recyclingrecovered for recycling• Of the remainder, about Of the remainder, about

80% is landfilled80% is landfilled• In landfills…In landfills…– Some carbon is stored Some carbon is stored

(discussed earlier)(discussed earlier)– Some carbon is converted Some carbon is converted

by bacteria into methaneby bacteria into methane• A much more potent A much more potent

greenhouse gas than COgreenhouse gas than CO22

Putting the pieces togetherPutting the pieces together

Contained in Miner, et. al., Contained in Miner, et. al., The greenhouse gas and carbon profile of the US forest products sector, The greenhouse gas and carbon profile of the US forest products sector, NCASI, Sept. 2008NCASI, Sept. 2008

Carbon storage offsets a Carbon storage offsets a significant fraction of emissionssignificant fraction of emissions

A few words about recyclingA few words about recycling• Estimating the effects of increasing recovered Estimating the effects of increasing recovered

fiber content requires many assumptionsfiber content requires many assumptions• Will the recovered fiber…Will the recovered fiber…– come from new supply of recovered fiber? come from new supply of recovered fiber? – be “stolen” from an existing user in the US?be “stolen” from an existing user in the US?– come from exports of recovered fiber, stealing from come from exports of recovered fiber, stealing from

a foreign user?a foreign user?• If “stolen” where will “victim” go for fiber and If “stolen” where will “victim” go for fiber and

what will be the effects?what will be the effects?• Will the reduced demand for wood result in Will the reduced demand for wood result in – more carbon storage in the forest?more carbon storage in the forest?– wood going to other uses (energy, wood products)?wood going to other uses (energy, wood products)?– conversion of the land to more profitable uses?conversion of the land to more profitable uses?

A few more words about recyclingA few more words about recycling• At what type of mill will the paper be made? At what type of mill will the paper be made? – Increasing recovered fiber use at a mill that makes Increasing recovered fiber use at a mill that makes

pulp can have a very different impact than pulp can have a very different impact than increasing use at a stand-alone paper millincreasing use at a stand-alone paper mill

– Using deinked market pulp has a different impact Using deinked market pulp has a different impact than using on-site produced deinked pulpthan using on-site produced deinked pulp

• For all of these (and other) questions, there is For all of these (and other) questions, there is much less uncertainty dealing with specific much less uncertainty dealing with specific local situations than dealing with general oneslocal situations than dealing with general ones

ConclusionsConclusions• Carbon stocks in US forests that supply the Carbon stocks in US forests that supply the

industry are stable or increasingindustry are stable or increasing• The amounts of carbon stored in products is The amounts of carbon stored in products is

growing fast enough to offset a significant growing fast enough to offset a significant fraction of the industry’s emissions, a situation fraction of the industry’s emissions, a situation that is expected to continuethat is expected to continue

• The results for specific products, however, may The results for specific products, however, may look very different from the overall industry look very different from the overall industry footprintfootprint

• Estimating the effects of increasing use of Estimating the effects of increasing use of recovered fiber involves large uncertaintiesrecovered fiber involves large uncertainties

• The uncertainties are reduced when the analysis The uncertainties are reduced when the analysis involves a specific situation rather than a general involves a specific situation rather than a general conditioncondition