The trees in the forest thrive on CO2.
Therefore, the forest is part of the solution to the climate problem
With active forestry, it is possible to achieve a 30% reduction in Denmark’s annual net CO2 emissions. This assumes afforestation of approximately 500,000 hectares. We must therefore convert 11% of our land into forests.
It provides a significant and necessary CO2 gain for the climate. If, at the same time, we follow a strategy of using the trees from the forest to replace climate-damaging materials such as steel, concrete, and aluminum, the effect will be much greater. By using the trees from the forest, especially in construction, we bind the CO2 in buildings.
In untouched forests, we miss out on both the sequestration of CO2 in long-lived materials and the benefits of using wood instead of CO2-heavy materials.
WWF, Netflix, and Silverback Films, with the assistance of David Attenborough, have created a documentary on how we can cultivate some of the forests to ensure both our own and all forests’ future, thereby securing the survival of our planet.
InNovaSilva
- means the new forest, and the vision is to establish forestry with the climate at the center
- is a think tank for research-based forest management with a focus on the climate
- is also a company that actively engages in afforestation projects
- works locally and globally with the forest and the climate
The cultivated forest is the future
To replace energy-intensive materials or fossil energy in the future, it is worth investing time and money in forest management.
The opportunities in forest management allow for a powerful reduction of atmospheric CO2 content, as the substitution effect is associated with the wood taken out of the forest.
In cultivated forests, there is the possibility to ensure a rapid establishment of a new generation of trees in combination with greater growth, which will result in a larger and larger CO2 reduction. Therefore, the net sequestration of CO2 is usually high in cultivated forests.
The conversion to untouched forest is a climate burden
Untouched forest fundamentally differs from forest management in that no wood is removed from the forest. All wood is left to decompose naturally. It is one of the ideas behind untouched forests. During the establishment of the untouched forest, there is an increase in the wood stock and indeed a reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere. But when the untouched forest reaches a balance after a certain period, it no longer contributes to CO2 reduction.
It is a combination of several factors, including the low growth rate, as older trees grow less than young, vital trees. Secondly, the decomposition of the large amount of dead wood results in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Simultaneously, the decomposition process can lead to the formation of the greenhouse gas methane.
If catastrophes occur, where trees topples and decays, CO2 emissions increase. Even worse are forest fires, where the CO2 stored in the untouched forest is released into the atmosphere at once.