Controlling Emissions From Wood Burning

This report has been produced by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) under a grant from the Nordic Council of Ministers under its Arctic Cooperation Program, as part of a pilot project to reduce emissions of black carbon reaching the Arctic from residential heating from wood burning in Nordic countries. The report reviews legislation and other measures in the Nordic countries pertinent to the reduction of particulate matter (PM2.5) and Black Carbon (BC) –soot. It then assesses the effectiveness of the different policy instruments used in the Nordic countries as well as points to measures which may be most effective in reducing emissions of Black Carbon and PM2.5 from wood burning.

This report has been produced by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) under a grant from the Nordic Council of Ministers under its Arctic Cooperation Program, as part of a pilot project to reduce emissions of black carbon reaching the Arctic from residential heating from wood burning in Nordic countries. The report reviews legislation and other measures in the Nordic countries pertinent to the reduction of particulate matter (PM2.5) and Black Carbon (BC) -soot. It then assesses the effectiveness of the different policy instruments used in the Nordic countries as well as points to measures which may be most effective in reducing emissions of Black Carbon and PM2.5 from wood burning.

In the future residential biomass combustion and transport will be important sources for emissions to air of black carbon (BC), as will agriculture and waste management for emissions of methane (CH4). Measures to abate emissions of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) are to varying degrees already in place in the Nordic countries. To reduce emissions beyond current emission projections, additional measures are required. Both technical measures, such as improved technologies, and non-technical measures, such as promoting behavioral changes favoring reduced emissions are discussed in this report. The overall objective of this project is to improve the Nordic emission inventories of Short Lived Climate Pollutants. This report presents results from the third and final phase of the project, an assessment of efficient measures to reduce emissions of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) in the Nordic countries.