Research shows that Canada is understating its GHG emissions from the lumber industry
by CM Staff
According to the authors, the underreporting of forestry emissions results from crediting the forestry sector with carbon absorbed by forests that have never been previously logged.
OTTAWA — New peer-reviewed research finds that since 2005 Canada’s forestry sector has emitted an average of over 90 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) annually, in stark contrast to Canada’s official assessment of the sector as a small carbon sink.
“Our study shows that Canada’s forestry sector is a larger contributor to national GHG emissions than previously considered, with emissions similar to the agriculture or electricity sectors,” said Dr. Anthony Taylor, co-author and Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick. “Canada’s ability to meet its emission reduction targets will be compromised until it recognizes and addresses the full scale of emissions from commercial forestry.”
According to the authors, the underreporting of forestry emissions results from crediting the forestry sector with carbon absorbed by forests that have never been previously logged. The government of Canada does not count the emissions from wildfires as part of the forestry sector’s footprint, considering those to be natural in origin, but, once those forests reach an age of commercial maturity, the government designates the carbon they absorb as anthropogenic – essentially giving this carbon credit to the forestry sector.
“The findings of this study illustrate that claims of wood products’ carbon neutrality rest on flawed ledger books,” said Dr. Jay Malcolm, co-author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. “Governments in Canada need to improve forest carbon accounting, and put in place policies to reduce emissions from industrial logging, including longer harvest rotations, protection of primary and old-growth forests, and a decrease in the production of short-lived forest products.”
The study, published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, echoes calls by Canada’s Environmental Commissioner and MPs and Senators for the separate and transparent reporting of forestry sector emissions.
