Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Profile of the US Forest Products Industry: 1990 to 2020

This study presents detailed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon profiles of the US forest products industry value chain in 1990, 2005 and 2020. Gross emissions were 291, 268 and 172 million metric tons CO2e in 1990, 2005 and 2020, respectively. Between 1990 and 2020, GHG emissions from fuel consumption were reduced by 44%, attributable primarily to fuel switching. Over this period, the greening of the grid resulted in a 43% reduction in emissions attributable to purchased electricity while increased recycling and improved landfill gas control reduced product end-of-life emissions by 61%. These three sources accounted for 64% of gross value chain emissions in 2020 and 93% of the reductions from 1990 to 2020. Forest carbon stocks were stable or increasing on land supplying wood to the industry while stocks of carbon stored in forest products increased by 124 and 97 million metric tons CO2e per year in 1990 and 2020, respectively. Continued progress in reducing value chain emissions will require maintaining stable carbon stocks on wood-supplying land, continued reductions in GHGs associated with purchased fuels and electricity and continued progress in keeping used forest products out of landfills and capturing landfill methane.