The potential implications of the climate change issue to the forest products industry are more complex than for any other industry. The forests that supply the industry’s raw material remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store the carbon - not only in trees, but also below ground in soils and root systems, and ultimately in forest products. These forests and their carbon sequestration potential are affected by management practices, climate and by the rise in atmospheric CO₂.
Most of the industry’s manufacturing facilities require fossil fuels and these fuels generate greenhouse gases when burned. The industry obtains much of its energy, however, from biomass fuels that, unlike fossil fuels, add no new carbon to the atmosphere and are therefore considered “carbon neutral.” The forest products industry is one of the leaders in using co-generation, also known as combined heat and power (CHP). CHP systems produce electricity while using fuels far more   efficiently  than   conventional   electricity   generation   systems,

meaning that smaller amounts of fuel are required and fewer greenhouse gases emitted.

The industry’s products compete against products with different greenhouse gas and carbon attributes. As a result, market forces that cause product substitutions can have important greenhouse gas and carbon implications. The end-of-life management options for forest products, ranging from recycling to landfilling and burning for energy, have important but complex greenhouse gas and carbon implications.

NCASI’s Climate Change Research Program contains elements that address many of these issues and others. Most of NCASI’s reports and work products in the climate change area are available to the public, and can be accessed via the menu items on the left.