Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

D1.2 Carbon SinkFinland's forests are its largest carbon sink pool. In 2008, it is estimatedthat the country's forests removed almost forty-two million tonnes of CO2from the atmosphere. Despite a decrease in total forest area, carbon sinkcapacity has been growing over the last century as forest management practiceshave improved.Tg C/year2015Carbon Emissions105Forest Sinks0-5-10|1920|1930|1940|1950|1960|1970|1980|1990|2000Carbon Emissions & Forest Carbon Sinks 1920-2000During the 1920's and 30's, and the rebuilding years after World War II,Finland's Forests were a source of carbon because harvests (drain) outpacedgrowth. Forest growth and the subsequent increase in carbon stocks havebeen particularly strong since the 1970's. This is mostly due to an increasedtree volume per hectare of land and because growth has exceeded drain.During the 1990's, the average carbon sink of forestland was 35% of Finland'scarbon emissions.SourceMETLApresentationCarbon Budgetof FinnishForests from1920-2000, 21April 2004With most of Finland's forests under commercial management, theindustry's activities have a significant impact on carbon sink capacity andduration of carbon sequestration. The majority of the industry producespulp and paper products. Compared to durable goods, such as wood panelsand other building materials, pulp and paper products have a very shortcarbon sequestration period. The Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla)estimates that as much as a hundred million tonnes of CO2 are temporarilysequestered in wood products in Finland. This is equivalent of over 140% ofFinland's GHG emissions in 2008.220