Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Pulp & Paper

The document examines the GHG footprint of the pulp and paper industry, noting that emissions range from 14 to 75 tCO2e/t paper (excluding biogenic forestry emissions). It highlights that pulping and papermaking are energy-intensive stages that dominate the footprint, while forest management—specifically deforestation and premature harvesting—represents a significant source of emissions and a major mitigation opportunity. The report emphasizes the need for standardized GHG accounting in the sector and suggests shifting to renewable energy and sustainable forestry to reduce impacts.

• The GHG footprint of paper to factory gate, excluding biogenic emissions from forestry, ranges from approximately 14 to 75 tCO2e/t paper, with typical values falling between 2 and 5.5 tCO2e/t paper.
• Forestry practices significantly impact emissions; deforestation for pulpwood plantations adds an average of 0.12 tCO2e/t paper, while preventing premature harvest (early re-entry) could avoid 0.4 to 0.7 tCO2e/t paper.
• Pulping and papermaking are the most energy-intensive stages and dominate the overall footprint, with pulping contributing between <0 and 1.4 tCO2e/t paper and papermaking contributing between 0.47 and 1.17 tCO2e/t paper.
• End-of-life treatment varies in impact: landfilling produces high emissions due to methane (0.05 to 0.33 tCO2e/t paper), while incineration with energy recovery can generate credits of -0.06 to -0.13 tCO2e/t paper.
• Regional consumption and production patterns vary, with China, the rest of Asia, Europe, and North America being the largest consumers (28%, 22%, 22%, and 18% respectively). In China, paper emissions account for approximately 10% of industrial GHG emissions.
• Primary mitigation opportunities include preventing deforestation and early harvest entry, increasing the use of renewable energy in manufacturing, and improving end-of-life reuse and recycling.

APA

Vallejo, D., Vincent, P., & Moberg, E. (2022). Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Pulp & Paper. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/197/6dcl1z0sv2_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_PULP_PAPER_09_22_v5.pdf

Chicago

Vallejo, Daniella, Paige Vincent, and Emily Moberg. Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Pulp & Paper. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/197/6dcl1z0sv2_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_PULP_PAPER_09_22_v5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vallejo |first1=Daniella |last2=Vincent |first2=Paige |last3=Moberg |first3=Emily |title=Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Pulp & Paper |publisher=WWF International |date=17 September 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/197/6dcl1z0sv2_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_PULP_PAPER_09_22_v5.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vallejo2022measuring, author = {Vallejo, Daniella and Vincent, Paige and Moberg, Emily}, title = {{Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Pulp \& Paper}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/197/6dcl1z0sv2_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_PULP_PAPER_09_22_v5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }