Reduce the amount of fossil fuel you use and significantly
reduce your carbon emissions by installing a wood fuel heating
system.
Support the sustainable management of woodland through the
production of wood fuel.
Low carbon local fuel supply
Woodfuel is a carbon lean source of energy which, if sourced
sustainably and used efficiently, can deliver carbon emissions
reductions of over 90% compared to fossil fuels. This makes
woodfuel an important element in the energy mix needed to meet
Scotland's ambitious climate change targets, set out in the Climate Change Delivery
Plan.
Source: GaBE Project: Comprehensive Assessment of Energy
Systems; Dr Thomas Heck, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland,
March 2002
Why is woodfuel low carbon?
Trees play a crucial role in regulating our climate by taking up
carbon as they grow. When wood is burned, the same amount of carbon
that was absorbed over its lifespan is emitted. However, so long as
new trees continue to grow in place of those used for fuel, this
process is carbon lean.
As trees mature, the rate at which they absorb carbon slows. So
by maintaining a constant cycle of growth and harvesting, managed
forests and woodlands can play an even more vital role in climate
regulation. Read the Read Report 'Combating
Climate Change - a role for UK forests' for more information on
this.
The creation of new markets for wood can also help stimulate new
woodland planting, which will contribute towards our goals to
increase the overall areas of forests in Scotland.
Woodfuel is described as carbon lean (not neutral) because some
carbon is emitted during its production and transportation.
However, as long as the fuel is sourced locally, these are much
lower than the emissions from fossil fuels.
Stimulating forest biodiversity
Sustainably managed forests and woodlands can be both
bio-diverse and productive. Improving forest biodiversity can be
achieved through management, such as restructuring woodland to
create open space and varying the age structure of plantations.
Wood produced from such management activities - often unsuitable
for traditional markets - can then be sold into the wood fuel
supply chain, supporting sustainable forest management.
Regulations and guidance on woodland creation and management aim
to promote biodiversity and avoid potentially negative impacts. In
the UK, the UK Forestry Standard [PDF] underpins
sustainable forest management and the Scottish Forest Strategy sets out
the framework for diverse and strong forestry sector, in tune with
the environment.