Calculator estimates carbon footprint of timber needed for selected example products and use purposes
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The climate impacts of other materials are not considered in the calculator.
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The scope includes generated fossil greenhouse gas emissions and biogenic carbon content of timber. Emissions from land use are not considered in the calculations.
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Timber need of the example products are estimations made by UPM Timber specialists → calculator is not meant to be used to calculate carbon footprint or amount of carbon stored in needed timber for specific products nor to make comparisons.
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The carbon stored in timber is calculated for sawn dried timber → influence of further processing (e.g. planing or painting) on emissions and thus the carbon storage is not considered.
The carbon storage calculator is based on the environmental product declaration (EPD) of UPM’s sawn dried timber
- EPD is available online: S-P-07215 - Standard and special sawn timber.
- EPD is verified by external, third party: Hannu Karppi, Ramboll Finland Oy Downstream transportation (i.e. transportation from sawmill to market country) is excluded from the verification (separate calculation was done for this calculator).
- The climate impact of downstream transportation is calculated with the assumption of 200 km truck transportation in Finland plus shipping distance to market country. Ship transportation is calculated based on default distance of Finland and market country (ship transportation distances were estimated with an online tool for ship transportation routes).
- ISO 14040, 14044 and EN 15804 standards are followed in the EPD.
The results also present the potential impacts of emissions generated during manufacturing on climate change, expressed as CO2 equivalent emissions (please see the EPD for further information)
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The calculator aims to demonstrate the ranges of magnitude between fossil greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage, not to provide quantitatively precise results.
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Emission calculations are always approximate, calculated estimations and do not represent exact impact to climate change.
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Calculator represents partial climate impact of timber excluding use and end-of-life stages (please see the EPD for further information).
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Carbon storage calculator represents UPM sawmills in Finland on average (i.e. results are not specific to particular sawmill). Operational data represents year 2021.
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Biogenic carbon content (i.e. carbon storage) of timber is presented separately from partial emission results.
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Calculator is not meant to be used to make comparisons to other products or companies – data represents UPM Timber only.
Biogenic carbon content (i.e. carbon stored in timber) presents the amount of CO₂ sequestrated in wood during its growth
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This carbon remains stored in timber as long as timber is not degraded or incinerated (i.e. is in use) → timber is a temporary storage of CO₂.
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Sequestrated, temporarily stored, CO₂ releases back to atmosphere when timber degrades or is incinerated.
If you want more information about UPM Timber’s carbon storage calculator, please contact us at communications.timber@upm.com.