Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to human activities have increased since pre-industrial times. Climate change arising from anthropogenic activity has been identified as one of the greatest challenges facing countries, governments, business and people with major implications for both human and natural systems. Several initiatives are being developed and implemented to limit GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. Such GHG initiatives rely on the assessment, monitoring, reporting and verification of GHG emissions and/or removals. Goods and services account for a major share in overall GHG emissions. Gaining a better understanding of these emissions as well as pathways for their reduction is of prime importance, in the supply chain as well as with consumers. GHGs are emitted, stored and removed throughout the life cycle of a product (i.e. cradle-to-grave) from raw material acquisition through production, use, and end-of-life treatment. A carbon footprint of a product measures the product’s life cycle GHG emissions. In this paper we discuss relevant methodological issues as well as previous and ongoing work in Norway on carbon footprints of wood products.
Keywords: Carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, wood products, life cycle assessment
Authors
Flæte P.O.
Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology, Oslo, Norway
Tellnes L.G.F.
Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology, Oslo, Norway
Nyrud A.Q.
Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology, Oslo, Norway
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