Greenhouse gas inventory towards a greener and globally competitive industrial tree plantation sector

Professorial Chair Lecture

2020 UPLB Centennial Professorial Chair Lecture

Place

Via online (Zoom meeting platform)

Date

9-21-2021

Abstract

The lecture sought to: a)discuss the rationale, basic concepts, and principles of GHG inventory; b)describe the GHG inventory framework and protocol; c)elaborate the various activities along the ITP production chain whee GHG fluxes occur; d)explain how GHG inventory will enable the ITP sector to become more productive, profitable and globally competitive as a green industry; and e)recommend strategies to reduce GHG emissions from ITP production chain and maximize carbon sequestration in durable wood products. The ITP sector could have significant contribution to the country's economy if not for a number of barriers that prevent it from becoming a major industry. Plantation threes could be harvested much earlier compared to those grown in temperate countries which could have afforded the local tree farmers a competitive advantage in the world market. Unfortunately, the sector does not have access to the market owing to its failure to adopt and institutionalize forest certification, that could have ligned it with the green economy. For one, it should be able to demonstrate that it has minimal contribution to the total global greenhouse gas emission. It can only be done by conducting GHG inventory on the entire ITP production chain. GHG inventory involves a process that records, summarizs, analyzes, and reports the quantity of carbon emissions by sources and removals by sinks as a direct result of human activities. It covers three copies, nmaely: a)Scope 1: It considers all direct GHG emissions from sources controlled or owned by the reporting project or firm. This includes vehicle or equipment, both the moving and stationary sources that use fuels the project operations; b)Scope 2: These are indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam and cooling. These emissions are a consequence of activities conducted within the organizational boundaries of the reporting entity, but actually occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity; and Scope 3: Other indirect emissions such as the extraction and production of purchased materials and fuels, transport-related activities in vehicles not owned or controlled by the reporting entity, electricity-related activities not covered in Scope 2, outsourced activities, waste disposal, etc. GHG emissions from the ITP sector activities that include harvesting, minor and major log transport, and veneer and lumber production were elaborated in the lecture. the carbon stored in lumber and veneer was also computed. Specially, the calculated GHG emissions (CO2e) from harvesting, minor log transport, and major log transport opeartions amounted to 0.006 Mg m-3, 0.077 Mgm-3, and 0.059 Mg m-3 respectively. Moreover, veneer and production resulted to GHG (CO2e) emissions of 0.197 Mg m-3 and 0.0146 Mg-m3, respectively. LIkewise, the computed amount of carbon stored in lumber and veneer equal to 0.126 Mg m-3. Further analysis shows that lumber and veneer production have a net GHG emission of 0.266 Mg m-3 and 0.317 Mg m-3, respectively which implies a storage of CO2 in/from veneer and lumber. The adoption of GHG inventory could revitalized the ITP sector through the adoption of sustainable and climate-friendly ITP practices, optimization of production chain operations, energy-efficient wood products utilization and product innovations and access of Philippine forest products to the world market. The lecture recommended the following: a)formullate policies that promote efficiency, transparency and competitiveness in the ITP sector; b)the concerned agencies like DENR should come up with intervention programs in terms of trainings, seminars and fora relative to the production of good quality planting materials and efficient post-harvest operations to encourage private tree plantation farmers in he Region to engage in falcata production; c)there is a need for the government to invest on improving farm-to-market roads to address the problem in transporting logs from the stumpsite to the nearest roadside: and 4)retooling of processing facilities and retraining of personnel involved in the intire production chain to make them more efficient and competitive in the world market.

College

College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR)

Language

English

Pages/Collation

65 leaves

En – AGROVOC descriptors

GREENHOUSE GASES; WOOD PRODUCTS; CARBON SEQUESTRATION

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