CO2 online calculator and booklet

This calculator enables you to estimate the amount of CO₂ fixed in wood-based products according to the standard EN 16449 [1]. In conjunction with the calculator, at the bottom of the page, you can also download the booklet, which provides an overview of carbon storage in wood and wood-based furniture with fundamental concepts and a detailed explanation of the calculation method for calculating the amount of fixed carbon dioxide (CO₂) in wood-based products. 

Rewatch PEFC webinar, which took place on 5 October 2023 where the author Francesco introduced the calculator and booklet here

1. CO₂ online calculator 

How to use it: 

1. Select the product type from solid wood, plywood, OSB, particleboard, MDF, or HDF. 
2. Enter the density of the wood species or of the wood-based panels above. If you don’t know, this list reports some reference values. Density values can also be found in literature, for instance [2], or in manufacturers’ data sheets. The use of reference data will result in less accurate estimates than the use of directly measured densities.
3. Enter the length, width, and thickness, in cm, of the product. Alternatively, you can separately calculate the volume, in cm³, of the product, and enter the value in the Volume cell (this enables you to handle non-polygonal pieces, e.g. circular or curved).
4. Click on ‘Calculate fixed CO₂’  to see the amount, in kg, of fixed CO₂ in the product.
5. To calculate the total amount, in kg, of fixed CO₂ in an item of furniture, repeat the calculation for each component included in that item and add the amounts together.

If you encounter any problems while using the calculator, please report them to data@pefc.org

Notes                                                                                                    

• This calculator considers wood with 12% moisture content (MC) and wood-based panels (plywood, OSB, particleboard, MDF, HDF) with 10% MC.
• When using the calculator, remember to consider only the wood components (solid wood or wood-based panels) that are included in the product. For example, in the case of plastic laminated MDF, you only need to consider the thickness of the MDF panel, excluding the thickness of the plastic laminate.
• You can enter the width, length and thickness of the product, or alternatively the volume (see point 3 above). For ease of use, when you fill the Width cell, the Volume cell disappears. Similarly, when you fill the Volume cell, the Width, Length and Thickness cells disappear. If you clear the cell contents, all the cells become visible again.
• Sequester, fix, store: these terms are often used interchangeably. Trees sequester CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis; the CO₂ is fixed in wood as biogenic carbon; and the carbon remains stored in wood until the wood decomposes or is burned.
• This calculator uses the carbon fractions values (in wood and wood-based panels) given in the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories – Volume 4 [3].
• PEFC International and the authors decline any responsibility for any misuse of this online calculator. Declarations on CO₂ fixation in wood-based products and furniture remain the sole responsibility of declarants.

References

[1] EN 16449:2014 Wood and wood-based products - Calculation of the biogenic carbon content of wood and conversion to carbon dioxide.

[2] https://www.wood-database.com/ (accessed on 12 Sep 2023)

[3] IPCC (2019). 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories – Volume 4. Available at: https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/vol4.html (accessed on 12 Sep 2023).

2. The booklet