How do forests & wood products store carbon?

Trees have a natural ability to concentrate and store carbon. Through photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and convert it to sugars. These sugars, including glucose, are then used as energy and storage material to build cellulose and lignin, the main constituents of wood.

Did you know that carbon accounts for around 50% the dry weight of a tree?

When trees are harvested and manufactured into products, this carbon remains stored for the life of the wood product, and can continue to reside in the wood for a considerable time once the product’s service life ends, depending on how it is disposed of.

Only when a tree or wood product decays or is burnt, does the carbon return to the atmosphere for further cycling in what is commonly referred to as the ‘Carbon Cycle’.

Forests are an important sink for carbon in this cycle because they help to offset carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases that would otherwise contribute to climate change.

One of the best ways to address climate change is to use more wood, as it is the most abundant, biodegradable and renewable material on our planet!