Climate change mitigation effect of harvested wood products in regions of Japan

Abstract

BackgroundHarvested wood products (HWPs) mitigate climate change through carbon storage, material substitution, and energy substitution. We construct a model to assess the overall climate change mitigation effect (comprising the carbon storage, material substitution, and energy substitution effects) resulting from HWPs in regions of Japan. The model allows for projections to 2050 based on future scenarios relating to the domestic forestry industry, HWP use, and energy use.ResultsUsing the production approach, a nationwide maximum figure of 2.9 MtC year−1 for the HWP carbon storage effect is determined for 2030. The maximum nationwide material substitution effect is 2.9 MtC year−1 in 2050. For the energy substitution effect, a nationwide maximum projection of 4.3 MtC year−1 in 2050 is established, with at least 50 % of this figure derived from east and west Japan, where a large volume of logging residue is generated. For the overall climate change mitigation effect, a nationwide maximum projection of 8.4 MtC year−1 in 2050 is established, equivalent to 2.4 % of Japan’s current carbon dioxide emissions.ConclusionsWhen domestic roundwood production and HWP usage is promoted, an overall climate change mitigation effect is consistently expected to be attributable to HWPs until 2050. A significant factor in obtaining the material substitution effect will be substituting non-wooden buildings with wooden ones. The policy of promoting the use of logging residue will have a significant impact on the energy substitution effect. An important future study is an integrated investigation of the climate change mitigation effect for both HWPs and forests.

Decomposition Analysis of Forest Ecosystem Services Values

“…The IPCC [42] noted that wood products mitigate GHG emission because they represent carbon storage sources and low carbon energy sources and generate material substitution effects. Kayo et al [43] estimated the climate change mitigation effect of harvested wood products in Japan and clarified that material and energy substitution effects have considerable potential to reduce GHG emissions in Japan. In material substitution processes, cellulose nanofiber technology improves the quality of wood-based material for building and manufacturing products [44].…”

Environmental Impact Assessment of Wood Use in Japan through 2050 Using Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment

“…The wood flow and stock targeted in this study are shown in figure . The details of the wood MFA were previously described by Kayo and colleagues (, ). We analyzed the wood flow from log production to lumber (including glued laminated lumber and laminated veneer lumber), plywood (including wood‐based panels such as particle board and fiberboard), chip production, and final consumption of wood and paper products for building construction (lumber and plywood), civil engineering (logs and lumber), furniture (lumber and plywood), and paper and paperboard (chips).…”

“…We used the following three future scenarios for the period of 2014–2050: baseline, moderate increase (of wood consumption), and rapid increase (of wood consumption), according to the methodology of Matsumoto and colleagues () and Kayo and colleagues (). The main indicators used in the scenarios are shown in table .…”

Economic and Environmental Optimization of the Forest Supply Chain for Timber and Bioenergy Production from Beetle-Killed Forests in Northern Colorado

“…During the solution process, a MOO model is first reformulated as single objective problems and solved to obtain the Step 1: This step mimics the process where harvesting operations at the TSC are conducted without consideration for residue utilization at the BSC. First, the TSC MOO model is solved with objective functions to maximize NR TSC and NS TSC (Equations (19) and (20)), subject to constraints in Equations (5)-(7), (17), (18) and (21)- (24). NR TSC and NS TSC are not the final TSC net revenues and net GHG emission savings.…”

“…Replacing non-renewable resource processing with less energy-intensive manufacturing necessary to produce wood products is another benefit to using dead beetle-killed wood [17,18]. Timber products can also serve as carbon storage while in use [19], can substitute fossil fuels as energy feedstock [20], or continue to preserve carbon in the landfill at the end of its service life [21].…”