Forests & Forest Products as Carbon Sinks

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1 Forests & Forest Products

2 Forests & Forest Products Forests and the Climate Challenge Global temperatures are increasing and science has confirmed that we must limit the rise to under 2 C in order to avoid the most serious consequences for people, the environment and economies worldwide. Forests cover around 30% of the Earth s land surface, storing approximately 638 gigatonnes of carbon. This is more that the total amount of carbon in the entire atmosphere. Sustainable forest management and the wise use of forest products are currently the most practical ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere at scale and at low cost. and food is increasing. In addition to preserving primary natural forests, it will be necessary to expand natural forests under sustainable management. Meeting the increased demand means increasing the amount of planted forest in degraded areas by around 400 million hectares. However, forests are disappearing at a rate of over 13 million hectares per annum while the demand for wood, fiber, fuel, Forests WBCSD works with member companies in the forest products value chain, from pulp and plantation businesses to the users of forest products and suppliers to the sector. These companies are committed to ending deforestation and eliminating illegal wood from supply chains. By protecting forests we prevent millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere and by expanding the area of forested land we create new carbon sinks and provide other valuable ecosystem services. Forest Products and the Bio-economy Forest products are key to making the transition to a more resource efficient society. Harvesting forest-based products sequesters carbon at the rate of 189 million tons per year (across a variety of time scales, according to the different products and applications). 35

3 Forests & Forest Products Scaling up Forests and Forest Products in the context of the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris WBCSD and its member companies have identified Forests and Forest Products as a key area for collective action on the climate challenge. In the run-up to COP21, the work program will be developed within the context of the Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative (LCTPi). A range of solutions are being developed and tested in different regions. The solutions are focused on three areas: 1. Sustainable forest management: Mechanisms to reduce the rate of deforestation, improve degraded forest landscapes and increase the area under forest cover, especially in areas where land degradation, watershed protection and marginal agricultural productivity are considerations for land managers. 2. Innovation and technological development in pulp processing: There are currently technologies in the precommercialisation phase that reduce the emissions intensity of pulp processing by up to 70%. These new applications have the potential to displace processes that use fossil fuels, or free up surplus energy from biomass plants that can then be used by other sectors or exported onto electricity grids. 3. Forest products: Exploring innovations such as wood composite materials, biofuels and the application of forest products into industrial processes such as steel-making. The group will report on mechanisms to increase the demand for forest products that can sustain the growth of sustainably managed forests without timber from unsustainable sources of supply (deforestation). 36

4 Forests & Forest Products Work Program and Timeline BASELINE Identify the baseline of global forest carbon stocks and levels of sustainable production FORESTS AND FOREST PRODUCTS 2050 VISION Develop a shared vision with clear targets and milestones for the greater use of forest products from sustainably managed forests BARRIERS, CHALLENGES, GAPS Identify barriers and challenges to achieving the 2050 vision BIG SOLUTIONS BEYOND BAU Beyond business as usual actions delivered through private and public partnerships How to Get Involved Matthew Reddy Director, Forest Solutions * reddy@wbcsd.org 37

5 COP21 and the LCTPi About COP21 and the LCTPi In December 2015, a global climate agreement will be brokered at COP21, the Paris Climate Change Conference. This is a key moment for all stakeholders to contribute to decisive climate action. Launched in Lima in partnership with SDSN and IEA, LCTPi is supported by the French Presidency of COP21 and is part of the Lima-Paris Action Agenda. It aims to present action plans at COP21 that will accelerate low-carbon technology and scale up the deployment of business solutions consistent with the 2 C objective. LCTPi is a collaborative platform, gathering together project teams and stakeholders to discuss and agree the concrete actions that are needed. It focuses on solutions that are beyond business as usual. It is a unique opportunity to showcase how your business can and is tackling climate change. To ensure the development and implementation of business solutions that address climate change, we must: Remove the barriers that are preventing existing solutions from being deployed Develop new solutions to complement existing ones 38

6 COP21 and the LCTPi LCTPi has several focus areas, and for each area the deliverables include: Business oriented solution roadmaps including critical milestones Analysis of barriers and identification of solutions, financial requirements, policies and PPP (public-private partnerships) opportunities that facilitate scale up Strengthened business and government dialogue to create enabling frameworks for investment A work program beyond Paris to ensure enduring implementation at scale Underway Renewables Carbon Capture & Storage Energy Efficiency in Buildings Materials: Cement Sustainability Initiative Advanced Biofuels Climate Smart Agriculture Forests & Forest Products Low Carbon Freight Transport Scoping Smart Grids Low Carbon Passenger Mobility Materials: Chemicals Digitization 39

7 P Led by Partners