A team of researchers from EFI, the University of Eastern Finland and the Lithuanian Forest Research institute has published a paper looking at whether the intensified use of wood can be combined with climate change mitigation measures to increase carbon sinks in the forest-based sector in Lithuania, and what are the possible socio-economic and environmental impacts of intensified wood use for Lithuania?
Key messages
1. Increased wood utilisation supports development of the bioeconomy and contributes to climate change mitigation. The potential for increased use of wood is especially high in many Eastern European countries, where there is a large forest resource that is currently often underutilised. However, positive effects with regard to climate change mitigation from a national perspective are observed only if substantial actions are taken to use more domestic wood for long-life wood products.
2. Current UNFCCC carbon accounting and reporting practices (under the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector) do not provide sufficient motivation for countries that are currently net roundwood exporters (as is the case for Lithuania). The authors recommend that assessments of use of forest resources (including for carbon accounting and reporting), should consider cross-sectoral effects and net impacts on bioeconomy and global climate change mitigation beyond country borders.
The article is open access and can be read here.
Full reference: Jasinevičius, G., Lindner, M., Verkerk, P.J., Aleinikovas, M., 2017. Assessing Impacts of Wood Utilisation Scenarios for a Lithuanian Bioeconomy: Impacts on Carbon in Forests and Harvested Wood Products and on the Socio-Economic Performance of the Forest-Based Sector. Forests 8, 133. http://doi.org/10.3390/f8040133
More info: Gediminas Jasinevičius, European Forest Institute, gediminas.jasinevicius (at) efi.int