MAXIWOOD · CARBON ACCOUNTING IN THE FOREST-BASED INDUSTRY – MAXIMISING THE MITIGATION POTENTIAL OF WOOD PRODUCTS IN SLOVENIA
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2022-05-01 → 2028-08-22
- EU contribution
- €243,060
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
CARBON ACCOUNTING IN THE FOREST-BASED INDUSTRY – MAXIMISING THE MITIGATION POTENTIAL OF WOOD PRODUCTS IN SLOVENIA
The MAXIWOOD project aimed to enhance carbon accounting practices in the forest-based industry (FBI) of Slovenia, focusing on maximizing the mitigation potential of wood products. The project successfully defined methodologies for carbon sequestration in harvested wood products (HWPs) and comparative analysis using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) frameworks. Notable achievements include the completion of a longitudinal study of material flow of wood products in Slovenia. The analysis of existing carbon accounting methodologies revealed a need for enhanced data quality and better-defined methodologies. Challenges with data acquisition related to HWPs led to the development of substantial insights into Slovenia's synthesized wood product flows, documenting an increase in the harvesting and processing of secondary wood products. This work effectively highlighted gaps in current practices and pointed toward substantial potential for improving domestic production systems to better utilize Slovenian resources. Furthermore, LCA analysis on bark-derived products and furniture items was also conducted in the framework of this project. The LCA case study on tree bark products highlighting potential substitutes for traditional materials. Additionally, workshops with industry stakeholders facilitated dialogue around carbon flow challenges in the FBI, identifying key challenges and future research directions. The LCA case study was initiated but not completed, however, a student whom the fellow supervised will continue this work. The project’s socio-economic impact could significantly influence policy decisions aiming at sustainable forest management, carbon storage optimization, and overall ecosystem resilience. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of wood’s role in carbon sequestration and underscore the importance of fostering collaborations among researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals to drive effective environmental governance.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Forest-based industries are responsible for about 3% of the world’s total CO 2 eq. emissions and represent one of the few readily available and effective ways of capturing atmosphere’s carbon dioxide. Restructuring forest industries towards products which offer the benefit of long-term carbon storage in so-called harvested wood products (HWP) has an important and underexplored mitigation effect for global warming. In Slovenia, forests represent 58 % of the landcover and are highly important ecologically, socially and economically. Despite the known carbon mitigation potential of wood and the high untapped harvesting capacity as well as the potential for a revival of wood industry, strategic documents do not address the importance of the forest industry as means of offsetting carbon emissions. In order to maximize the potential carbon sink effect of Slovenian forest industry, it is crucial to understand the product/resource interconnections within the value chain and where the carbon is stored/released. Making use and further upgrading candidates’ current skills in modelling and LCA, MAXIWOOD aims to analyse the CO 2 emitted and sequestered by the forest based industry in Slovenia through carbon sequestration, manufacturing, end-of-life treatment and substitution of other products. This will in facilitate an identification of the opportunities for the Slovenian forest industry to improve its carbon footprint and increasecompetitiveness. Existing national and international studies are largely based on 2013 IPCC guidelines for carbon accounting and are not sufficiently detailed to be translated into policy measures. MAXIWOOD will build further on the existing methodologies in order provide results detailed enough to inform effective policy making. The developed methodology will be applicable in other countries in Europe, increasing the competitiveness of the forest sector and mitigating global warming internationally.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM UNIVERSITA DEL LITORALE · KoperCoordinatorSlovenia
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union