Koskisen Corporation press release, 4 April 2023, at 10:00 a.m. EEST
The products manufactured by the wood products company Koskisen sequestered organic carbon in the amount of 374,289 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022, resulting in a carbon handprint that is 2.9 times the carbon footprint. The total carbon footprint of the sawn products and plywood products, i.e. the amount of fossil greenhouse gas emissions, was 123,953 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Koskisen’s sawn products make up 34 per cent of the carbon footprint, while plywood and chipboard products make up 66 per cent. The single largest source of emissions from plywood and chipboard products is the manufacture of glues used as a raw material. At the Group level, another significant emissions source is transportation.
“The end uses of the sawn and plywood products are assumed to be long-term wooden structures lasting more than a decade, which means the products sequester organic carbon during their useful life and create a carbon handprint. We can therefore think that the carbon dioxide absorbed into Koskisen’s products corresponds to the emissions from 90,000 electrically heated single family homes annually,” says Sanna Väisänen, Director, Sustainability and Communications.
Koskisen has updated and verified the Group-level life cycle calculations (LCA) for greenhouse gas emissions for 2022. The calculations were carried out in accordance with the ISO 14064 and ISO 14067 standards. Compared to 2021, the emissions generated in the manufacture of the products grew slightly, by around 9 per cent. The growth is explained by a change in the emission factor for transportation.
“Koskisen has several projects underway that will reduce the carbon footprint of products already in the near future. The investment in a new wood processing unit is expected to improve the energy efficiency of sawmilling significantly. In the Panel Industry, the new Zero product family, which uses 100% bio-based binders in its furniture board instead of fossil fuel products, is creating opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint,” says Väisänen.
A large share of biofuel reduces direct emissions
At the same time, Koskisen also calculated the direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1 and 2) in line with the GHG Protocol. The direct emissions from own operations (3,751 CO2-eq, t) are made up by the fossil fuel used by heat production reserve boilers and the transports taking place within the mill areas. Indirect emissions (16,271 CO2-eq, t) result from emissions from the production of purchased electricity. Koskisen has also started calculating the emissions resulting from purchases and value chains (Scope 3).
“96 per cent of the heat energy used in production processes is generated using bio-based fuel, such as bark, which is sourced entirely from our production side streams. Due to an integrated value chain, we can fully utilise the valuable wood raw material from forest to end product, and thus reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and products,” Väisänen sums up.
For more information, please contact:
Sanna Väisänen, Director, Sustainability and Communications, Koskisen Corporation
sanna.vaisanen@koskisen.com
tel. +358 20 553 4563
Koskisen is an international wood processing specialist with more than a century of experience and known for its agility and ability to listen to the customer. We utilise our valuable wood raw material as thoroughly as possible, up to the last particle of sawdust. At the same time, we bring the best carbon narrative to life: We manufacture high-quality and sustainable products that store carbon for decades. The Group’s revenue in 2022 was EUR 318 million. Read more: koskisen.com
