Mitigation

Forests and woodlands have a key role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change. As well as reservoirs of carbon, our forests can make a vital contribution by providing wood as a renewable, low-carbon form of fuel and energy. And wood can also make a substantial contribution by substituting for materials, such as concrete and steel, that have much higher fossil fuel inputs.

Renewable energy

Wood and other materials derived from plants have an important contribution to make towards our future energy needs. Wood can be used as a low-carbon renewable energy source to substitute for fossil fuels.

Wood products

Wood products can be used as low-energy alternatives to materials such as concrete and steel which involve high energy use in their production. The biomass in wood products is also a carbon stock in its own right, just as much as biomass in living trees.

Carbon sequestration

Forests and woodlands stabilise atmospheric carbon dioxide by sequestering and storing carbon in trees, vegetation and soils.