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Data on wood fuel and charcoal production are important for policymaking and understanding the trends of the forest industry. However, data reported by individual countries and territories may vary in quality. This article details a model for producing estimates of wood fuel removals and charcoal production, updating previous estimates and bringing new clarity to the scope of wood harvesting for energy production.
Wood use is inextricably linked to local economies, and plays a big role in forest management, human health, and sustainable development. However, current available data is lacking, as many countries find it difficult to produce accurate statistics on wood use. Understanding wood removals for fuel and charcoal production is essential for supporting sustainable energy production and research management.
This research article in Nature Communications, produced with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners, details a three-step approach in which they used to obtain more accurate estimates for wood consumption and energy demand:
Through this method, the team estimates that 2525.7 million cubic metres of wood fuel were removed in 2019 – that’s 30% higher than FAO’s previous projections. The researchers also produce individual estimates for separate regions.
These results can shift current understanding of global charcoal production, wood removal, and potentially the distribution of forest labor, allowing for targeted improvement of wood energies to support climate change mitigation.
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