Sustainable forest-based industries

Wood, wood products and climate change

The wood-growing stock on Earth is estimated by FAO (2020) at 557 billion m³. This increment may also differ from year to year:

• in a negative way due to various events of a biotic (insect attacks, diseases) or abiotic (storm, drought, heat, fire, flood, frost) nature; or
• in a positive way due to favourable climatic conditions for wood growth without biotic damage.

©Pierre BouillonMost forest carbon is found in living biomass (45%) and soil organic matter (45%), with the remainder in litter (6%) and dead wood (4%). The total carbon stock in forests in 2020 is of 662 gigatonnes.

Forests sequester atmospheric carbon and store it particularly in the form of wood.