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News Release from: Forestry Commission | Subject: Carbon, Climate Change And UK Forests
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 July 2003
Carbon, Climate Change And UK Forests -
The Facts
Britain's woods and forests have a role to play in reducing the impact of greenhouse gases and slowing global warming, according to a new report which gauges the impact of forestry on climate change.
The Forestry Commission Information Note 'Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: the UK Contribution' explains the part played by forests and carbon in global warming and presents some of the facts and figures behind the many complex issues surrounding the subject The paper was written by Mark Broadmeadow and Robert Matthews of Forest Research, the Commission's scientific agency
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 23 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Dr Broadmeadow said woodlands had an important role to play in the global carbon budget.
"The forest estate of the UK covers an area of 2.8 million hectares, or 11.6% of the land surface, an area about the size of Wales," he explained.
"Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide and retain carbon as biomass.
The wood, branches and leaves making up these forests contain a quantity of carbon roughly equal to offsetting one year of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels and certain industrial processes in this country." He added: "We could increase the quantity of carbon in forests but for the UK to become carbon neutral through afforestation alone it would be necessary to create 50million hectares of forest, approximately double the area of the country.
Clearly forest carbon sequestration alone cannot be used to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with contemporary ways of living and working.
"However the carbon sink associated with UK forests could make a useful contribution.
Any measures taken now to protect and expand forest areas can increase the biomass resource potentially available to future generations and support any efforts to move towards a 'low carbon' economy.
Wood has the potential to do this when used as an energy efficient material or as renewable wood fuel." In the free information note the roles played by growing trees and mature woodlands, forest soils, harvested wood and wood products in use are discussed and compared.
Statistics and supporting interpretation identify the current and potential contribution of UK woodland in mitigating global warming.
The information provided on carbon management in forests is relevant to woodland managers and forestry practitioners as well as those considering involvement in carbon trading and carbon neutrality schemes.
Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: the UK Contribution is available from the Commission's online publications catalogue.
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