SCA is one of Europe’s largest forest owners, with 2.6 million hectares of productive forestland in northern Sweden, an area that is the equivalent of half the size of the Netherlands.
SCA Forest Products AB has large forest holdings, well managed, with an annual growth that exceeds the harvest, even long term.
When trees grow they build wood from water and nutrients from the ground, energy from the sun – and from carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide we are concerned with is the very building material for trees. More living, growing trees means less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
For the growth of one cubic metre of wood, trees need 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is more than the weight of the wood, but the trees only use the one carbon atom in carbon dioxide for its growth, while the two oxygen atoms are released into the atmosphere. And to grow one cubic metre of wood, the tree also need to grow leaves or needles, branches and roots, which are not included in the cubic metre measured.
However, when wood decomposes, either when trees die and rot in the forests or when woodfibre is burned or decomposes after use, the carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere.
SCA’s vast forest tracts, 2.6 million hectares in northern Sweden of which two million hectares are managed for timber production, are managed in a sustainable manner. Growth is over 20% higher than harvesting, which means that every year the forest binds large amounts of carbon dioxide, net – significantly more, in fact, than the total emissions of the entire SCA Forest Products operations. The net carbon sequestration in SCA’s forests amount to 2.6 million tonnes, every year. SCA Forest Products total fossil CO2-emissions amount to around 1,0 million tonnes, every year.
If you could add these figures you find that our enterprise is more than carbon neutral.
The felling of own forestland each year is about 4.5 cubic meters. When the forest reaches 80 to 100 years of age, it is economically mature and final felling is conducted. Ecological landscape plans stipulate which forest areas are to be spared for the future.
We replace every tree we harvest with three new ones, either through natural regeneration or planting. Within every phase of forestry activities each step is handled with the utmost consideration for the environment. The goal is preserved biodiversity – plant or animal species should not be put at risk of extinction.