Forest products markets are doing well, with improvements expected to continue into next year, the UN forecasts. However, barriers to cross-border trade are an ongoing concern for the forest products industry.
Consumers also contribute to reducing carbon emissions when they use long-lasting forest products as it is one of the most effective ways of reducing carbon footprint. Werner Kurz, a scientist specialised in carbon accounting, said, “Effective mitigation strategies involve sustainable forest management and the use of long-lasting products for carbon storage and substitution of carbon intensive materials.”
Dr Kurz was sharing at Las2017, the Joint Session of the Committee of Forests and the Forest Industry of the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the European Forestry Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
The discussion included expert presentations and focused on providing products that meet society’s desire to live sustainably.
Iain Macdonald, an expert on tall wooden buildings pointed out that wooden buildings have great potential for storing carbon as well as reducing carbon emissions over the entire life-cycle of the structure. It has significant advantages over concrete and steel.
He said, “It takes five times more energy to produce a tonne of concrete and 24 times more energy to produce a tonne of steel compared to a tonne of wood.”
Source: UNECE
