Technical Bulletin No. 1091: Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Profile of the US Forest Products Industry: 1990 to 2020
Authored by:
Reid Miner, NCASI Retired
Barry Malmberg, PhD, Director – Sustainability & Climate, NCASI
Adam Costanza, Senior Program Manager, Sustainability Metrics and Reporting, NCASI
Stephen Prisley, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, NCASI
Abstract
This report examines greenhouse gas emissions and sinks along the value chain of the US forest products industry for 1990, 2005, and 2020. Total gross emissions for the US forest products industry value chain were 293, 268, and 172 million metric tons CO2eq. in 1990, 2005, and 2020, respectively. Gross emissions in 2020 were 41% below 1990 emissions and 36% below 2005 emissions. The reductions were driven largely by (1) changes in energy sources used by the forest products industry and electricity producers, (2) reduced energy intensity in manufacturing, and (3) reduced methane emissions from products disposed in municipal solid waste landfills. Methane reductions were due to increased recycling and improved methane capture and destruction at municipal solid waste landfills.
If CO2 removals attributable to increases in biogenic carbon stocks are netted against gross emissions, net transfers of greenhouse gases from the industry’s value chain are calculated to have been 169, 162, and 75 million metric tons CO2eq. in 1990, 2005, and 2020, respectively. This report also includes estimates of net removals of CO2 from the atmosphere over 100 years attributable to products manufactured in 1990, 2005, and 2020.
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Keywords:
carbon footprint, forest carbon, carbon storage, US forest products industry, greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle assessment