PCA Report Addresses Carbon Claims by Wood Industry
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The Portland Cement Association just published a research paper addressing the carbon footprint claims of the wood industry which has long held the environmental benefits of cutting down carbon-absorbing trees and building with carbon-sequestering wood products. The comprehensive report highlights the misconceptions influencing project design and driving code and standards decisions in lieu of the credible research. The report highlights inconsistencies and lack of completeness in many wood life cycle assessment (LCA) reports, including:
• Carbon Pools Considerations;
• Equivalent Carbon Pools;
• Sustainable Forest Management;
• Inconsistent Scopes; and
• Missing Impacts.
The report can be used as an advocacy resource for decision makers to better understand carbon sequestration claims in policy and standards development. The intent is to value fully-vetted facts and establish genuine criteria for life safety, property protection, public health, and welfare of emergency responders. A forthcoming paper by the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub titled "Critical Issues when Comparing Whole Building & Building Product Environmental Performance" will also provide guidance in understanding and developing LCAs to enable robust comparisons.
