Environmental and economic assessment of using wood to meet Paris Agreement greenhouse gas emission reductions in Slovenia

Abstract

More than one hundred ninety nations, including the European Union, have signed the Paris Agreement to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Meeting these conditions requires a steep decline in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2030 and zero GHG emissions by 2050. In this study, we investigated the role that wood products can play within Slovenia to reach the 2030 goal of a 55 % reduction in GHG, as compared to 1990 levels. Slovenia, with over 58 % forest cover, is well-positioned to utilize wood products to meet these climate goals. However, questions exist on how increased tree harvesting and local production, and the use of wood products contribute to replacing fossil-based materials and to lower lowering GHG emissions. To better understand the importance of wood products to GHG emission reduction, this study aimed to present a model showing how the forest-based value chain (including construction) could help reach the Paris Agreement goals. We investigated the associated environmental impacts and their related economic costs. The results indicated that Slovenia could reach the 55 % GHG emission reduction goal within 2030 through increasing tree harvesting and using these resources to increase the number of durable wood products produced within Slovenia that store carbon for long periods and substitute for other high GHG emitting materials. However, realizing these potential reductions would rely on the building industry within Slovenia to replace fossil- and mineral-based materials with wood products.