AF&PA members have taken significant steps to address greenhouse gas emissions. Members have developed tools for calculating emissions based on energy usage. Additionally, the association collects information on members' energy usage.
Emissions Calculations Tools
Responding to the need for improved methods for estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pulp and paper mills and wood products manufacturing facilities, AF&PA and the International Council of Forest Products Associations asked the National Council for Air and Steam Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) to review existing GHG protocols and assist the industry in developing calculation tools for estimating GHG emissions. The goals of this activity were to:
Calculation tools for both pulp and paper mills and wood products facilities have been completed. They have been peer reviewed and adopted by the World Resources Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development as industry modules for their Greenhouse Gas Protocol. A current copy of the GHG emissions calculations tools are available online.
Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Pulp & Paper Mills (PDF 153 KB)Download Acrobat Reader
Calculation
Tools for Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wood Product Facilities -
Version 1.0 July 8, 2005
AF&PA Environmental Health and Safety Survey
The AF&PA Environmental Health and Safety Principles Verification Program, which is a condition of membership in AF&PA, tracks progress by the industry, communicates information about EHS performance, and promotes continuous improvement. Among other things, the program collects data on energy use and promotes energy efficiency. The bi-annual data submissions reveal that AF&PA members continue to minimize energy use, especially the use of fossil fuels. The forest products industry leads the manufacturing sector in the use of both renewable fuels and self-generated electricity.
Product Sequestration
In addition to managing forests that store or sequester carbon, the forest
products industry also produces products that make an important contribution to
carbon sequestration. The harvesting and manufacturing of forest products
essentially transfers carbon from one carbon pool - the forests - to another
carbon pool - the product pool. The carbon contained in these products continues
to be sequestered from the atmosphere for decades or longer.
Tools have been developed that allow companies to calculate the amount of carbon stored in the forest products they produce. The tools, developed by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), allow companies to use annual production to estimate their contribution to long-term product sequestration. A report describing the methodology and a spreadsheet calculation tool are available at the NCASI web site.
Wood and Paper Products Store Greenhouse Gas (PDF 140 KB) Download Acrobat Reader
Forest Sequestration
The world's 3.5 billion hectares of growing closed-canopy forests sequester and store many billions of tons of carbon above and below the ground. Known as "carbon sequestration," this process begins when growing trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and emit oxygen. Using solar energy, the process of photosynthesis transforms carbon dioxide, along with water and nutrients, into wood fibers in growing trees. Managed forest, productivity improvements, and the creation of new forests around the world are increasing the amount of CO2 being removed from the atmosphere.
Forests Store Greenhouse Gases (PDF 108 KB) Download Acrobat Reader
Page Last Modified: August 7, 2008
