The use of wood contributes to sustainable development. When the forest grows carbon dioxide is absorbed. In turn, timber products sequester carbon dioxide during their period of use and can replace products that generate larger carbon emissions.
The growth of one cubic metre of wood in SCA’s forests in northern Sweden sequesters 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Since the growth in SCA’s forest is 25 percent higher than felling, a net total of 250 kg of carbon dioxide is sequestered for every cubic metre of sawn timber produced.
- Certified wood contributes to a better climate.
- Wood is a renewable and energy-efficient raw material.
- The average of a timber building is about 100 years.
- For each tree that SCA fells, three are replanted.
- Wood-based materials provide cost efficency and competitiveness in construction.
- Solid wood products can be good substitutes for materials like steel, concrete and plastic as they generate much lower CO2 emissions.
- Wood is light, has strong insulation properties, can store CO2 for a century or more and be used as a fuel in efficient energy production
- The sawdust generated by the sawmills is used in the production of fuel pellets, which act as a substitute for oil as a heating source in both domestic homes and major energy production plants.
- SCA BioNorr’s fuel pellet production generates more than 800 GWh of energy per year, enough to heat 30,000 homes.
Photo: Andreas Näslund