How we estimate harvesting

SCA has been inventorying and systematically measuring its forests since 1947, when the very first company inventory were performed. Based on the data obtained from the inventory, we make a Harvesting calculation (AVB). This gives us an overview of the condition of its forests and a forecast of our sustainable annual harvesting level for the coming hundred years with an analysis regarding the long-term effects of various strategies for forest management and harvesting.

SCA's management team then selects a strategy and a harvesting level that will apply to SCA’s own forests for the next ten years. The most recent inventory was conducted in 2019, marking the tenth inventory in order. This resulted in a new harvest calculation, called “AVB 20”.

Our AVB 20 indicates that we can maintain an annual harvesting level of approximately 5.4 million cubic meters under bark (m³sub, applies to SCA’s forests in Sweden) until 2030. This can be compared to SCA’s very first harvesting calculation, which provided for a sustainable annual harvesting level of approximately 2 million m³sub.

Long-term harvest planning

Based on the harvesting volumes indicated by the harvesting calculation, we then create a more detailed long-term plan for the next 5–10 years. This plan schedules the forest stands that need to be treated during the planning period to correspond with the volumes stated in the AVB. The selected stands must have the right mix of tree species and be suitable for harvesting during specific seasons.

Long-term planning also helps us stay ahead in terms of planning roads and coordinated planning.

More wood than ever

SCA has never had as much wood as it does now and through our approach to care and manage for our forest, the standing volume is expected to grow over the coming decades. Around 2050 (a century counting from 1947 when we did or first forest inventory) we will have doubled our standing timber volume.

The fact that the standing volume can be doubled is because we actively manage our forest. For every tree that is harvested, we plant two to three new trees, and the seedlings are adapted to the conditions of the area to be able to grow as well as possible. Other important measures are that we perform pre-commercial thinning and thinning in time. In addition, we fertilize certain forests and plant fast-growing contorta pine on suitable land.

SCA has never had as much wood as it does now and the standing volume is expected to grow over the coming decades. The red lines show inventories conducted by SCA. The figures are forecasted from 2020 according to the latest inventory.

Sustainable harvesting level

Fulfilling the AVB is crucial for SCA to extract the right volumes from its forests and ensure a steady supply of timber for our industries. AVB is also key to maintaining a sustainable level of harvesting, which means that the level should never need to be reduced.

In the same time that our volume of standing timber increases, our latest harvest calculation (from 2020) show that our sustainable harvest level can be tripled during the same period.

Good forest management has gradually increased the sustainable harvesting level since the late 1940s. Over the next 10–20 years, it is expected to be able to increase even more. The graph is based on the most recent harvesting calculations performed in 2020.