2023 Volume 69 Issue 2 Pages 79-91
Based on the statistical database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global wood fuel consumption and increases in CO2 emissions due to fossil fuel combustion resulting from wood to fossil fuel substitution were estimated in emerging and developing countries. The findings showed that the global consumption of all types of wood fuels increased from 2012 to 2019, and that the biggest increase was observed for wood pellets. In 2019, firewood, chips, sawdust, offcuts from forest and forest industry (hereinafter referred to “other wood fuels”) accounted for 88.8% of global fuel consumption. Among emerging and developing countries, countries with decreasing consumption of other wood fuels showed higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate compared to countries in which the consumption was increasing, but there was no correlation between the rate of decrease in consumption and GDP growth rate. In the short term, around 2027, the increase in the amount of CO2 emissions when wood charcoal and other wood fuels are converted to fossil fuels in emerging and developing countries was calculated from 28996 to 13799 kt-CO2/year.
