Video Resources

This collection of videos was prepared by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with contributions from Architecture2030, WEC, and Carbon Leadership Forum.

Edward Mazria, Founder and CEO of Architecture 2030, provided and introduction to the CarbonPositive RESET! 1.5ºC Global Teach-In, provided a global context for the challenges and opportunities that the AEC community will face in the coming years, and outlined the steps needed to meet the 1.5ºC goals established by the Paris Climate Agreement. MINUTE 14:44-48:30, RUNNING TIME 14:00 MIN

Explains the importance of forests for biodiversity and climate, and why balancing forest stewardship, conservation and restoration is critical if wood is going to realize its potential as a climate solution. Examines the differential impact of different approaches to forest management on stores of forest carbon and ecosystem integrity. Presents the "mitigation hierarchy:" forest conservation, restoration, improved forest management & afforestation. RUNNING TIME: 16 MINUTES

Featured presentation from Wood Carbon Seminars: This presentation offers a high-level overview of how forest carbon pools change in forests with natural disturbances and forest management. It suggests that there is a "narrow" view of forest carbon flux that leads to the conclusion that it is best to restrict logging and let forests grow and a "broad" view that shows that forestry, biofuels, and wood use are net carbon benefit. Its main message is that the most important thing we can do is to keep forests as forests. RUNNING TIME 13:30 MINUTES

Explanation of how typical softwood industry supply chains are structured and why this complexity makes it difficult to trace end products, including mass timber, back to the forest(s) of origin. Also, lays out the position that such traceability isn't essential because working forests in N. America, both certified and uncertified, are sustainably managed. RUNNING TIME 14:00 MINUTES

The structural lumber reuse imperative: presentation of research on technologies that will make it possible to use lumber from building deconstruction and construction waste to make CLT and other products at an industrial scale. RUNNING TIME: 19 MINUTES

This presentation focuses on alternative pathways to sourcing climate smarter forestry that utilize disclosure and transparency for direct sourcing of wood products. Three different approaches to tracking back to origin forest are presented while outlining the different performance requirements around wood harvesting and landowner diversity that each can provide. The presentation ends with describing what's needed to move forward: roadmaps of supply chain engagement for creating specifications around these new approaches, and an understanding of how our procurement teams can be restructured.

This video is a presentation by Paul Vanderford of Sustainable Northwest on the Meyer Memorial Trust Head Quarters Case Study. The video is a case study on creating and implementing climate-smart, equity focused, wood sourcing. The project illustrates an approach that sees buying and building with wood as a way to intentionally investment in local jobs, community, equity, and conservation values. Topics covered include: a) Establishing a procurement policy for certified and non-certified wood options; b) Sourcing strategy and internal project support to find options that delivered maximum impact for minimum cost; c) Project successes including paying a low premium, all wood from the Pacific Northwest, sourcing from six minority owned businesses, seven small family businesses, most options grown and fabricated within 70 miles of the project, and full transparency for wood flooring, siding, and decking. RUNNING TIME 16 MINUTES

Outlines the goals and key features of ecological forest management (which focuses on managing ecosystems for multiple benefits including carbon storage, resilience, and wholeness or integrity) and how it differs from production forestry (which focuses on maximizing wood production and return on investment). Briefly discusses SFI and FSC certification. Makes the case that we have so altered forests that to leave them alone is irrational; instead, we should manage and restore them responsibly. Jerry Franklin is a world-renowned forest ecologist who has been called “the father of new forestry.” He is a leading authority on sustainable forest management and the maintenance of healthy forest ecosystems and was responsible for integrating ecological and economic values into harvest strategies. He has recently written the co-authoritative book on Ecological Forest Management (Ecological Forest Management by Debora L. Johnson, Jerry F. Franklin, and K. Norman Johnson) available Waveland Press.

Featured presentation from Wood at Work 2020: Addresses the question of whether or not increased wood use will be a climate solution through four tests: Test #1: Did the wood products compete with or complement other climate solutions (conservation, restoration etc.) Test #2: Does production of durable wood products contribute to stable or increasing net carbon stocks? Is storage in wood products greater than the long-term opportunity cost? Test #3: Is the production of durable wood products part of multi-functional forest management? Test #4: Does production of durable wood products help make forests future adapted? Resilience to fire and other disturbances? RUNNING TIME 13:40 MINUTES

Why transforming how we conserve and manage forests is an essential climate solution, equivalent in scope and impact to how we transform our energy and transportation sectors. Explains that forest-based emissions are not contemplated to be under any capped systems, and therefore in order to address the root causes of these emissions, other tools to reduce and reverse forest loss and degradation are needed. Forest Carbon offsets are one key tool that can be an effective business-to-business based approach, but thet must be rigorous and long-term (at least 100 years). Examines why the compliance-based offsets under the California Air Resources Board are the most effective forest carbon offsets, and also discusses other, more forest sector-based tools and approaches that must be deployed, from vastly increasing the use of permanent conservation easements on managed forest, to instituting procurement and contracting standards that require forest products from conserved, well-managed forests, to state-backed rating systems for products that come from forests with beneficial climate-based management.

Featured presentation from Wood Carbon Seminars: High-level overview of forest certification. The major forest certifiction systems and explanation of key terms and types of standards. How forest certification aligns with and supports climate-smart forestry. RUNNING TIME 20 MINUTES

How today's western forests came to be prone to catastrophic wildfires; and why and how we must change our approaches to fire management. RUNING TIME 14 MINUTES

Presents a comprehensive methodological framework for comparing "private regulations" such as voluntary certification and eco-labeling programs, so as to better address questions as to how such programs compare and evolve over time. Applies the methodology in an analysis of the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council US and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, comparing each program's stringency on 48 key social and environmental issues from 2008 to 2016. RUNNING TIME: 17:45 MINUTES

Why the conservation of primary forests, i.e. forests that have not been previously logged, and proforestation of some secondary forest -- i.e. letting forests that are semi-mature and have been previously logged grow back -- are critical for climate and biodiversity. The relative impacts of logging on emissions of forest carbon. A proposal for a national Forest Carbon Reserve and other suggested solutions. RUNNING TIME: 23 MIN

Proforestation means protecting secondary (previously logged) forests and letting them grow so that they regain their ecological and carbon storage potential. Moomaw's research identifies this as a fast, effective, and low-cost solution for drawing carbon out of the atmosphere while avoiding more emissions -- one that has been largely overlooked as models intended to assess the potential of forests as a climate solution has tended to focus on afforestation, reforestation or improved forest management. RUNNING TIME: 18 MIN

Why reforestation is a critical natural climate solution. Several strategies and tools in the reforestation toolbox, including natural regeneration (proforestation) and tree planting (afforestation). Why and when active management is sometimes needed 1) to ensure that reforestation is successful, ecologically appropriate, and resilient; and 2) to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfire and to kickstart forest recovery in the wake of extreme fire events. "Must-haves" in order to realize the reforestation opportunity, as well as current public policy initiatives. RUNNING TIME: 16:30

This presentation discusses the global climate importance of protecting primary forests in the Canadian boreal and challenges assertions around the sustainability of current logging practices in Canada. The Canadian boreal is one of the most carbon-dense biomes on the planet, and to meet international climate targets, carbon-rich primary forest areas free of industrial development need to remain unlogged.

How focusing on interests rather than positions allowed environmentalists and timber industry supporters to come together in support of restoration forestry practices that mitigate the risk of catastrohpic wildfires while producing small-diameter timber used in CLT. RUNNING TIME 11:45 MINUTES

What is forest soil carbon is and where the largest concentrations are globally. Presentation of research on how soil carbon stores can be increased through the management of soil microorganisms and fungi. RUNNING TIME 20:00 MINUTES

Featured presentation from Wood Carbon Seminars: High-level overview of how life cycle assessment (LCA) works. Explanation of the current methodology whereby LCA and environmental product declarations (EPDs) handle biogenic (produced by living organisms) carbon. RUNNING TIME 17:00 MINUTES

Featured presentation from Wood at Work 2020: Examines the carbon benefits of timber harvest vs. letting secondary forests grow (in the U.S. vs the tropics) Variability of estimated climate benefit depending on key factors: 1) forest growth rates 2) how much biomass you leave behind after harvest 3) % of timber that goes into long-lived products 4) concrete/steel substitution values RUNNING TIME 8:30 MINUTES

Current calculations of the embodied carbon of wood rest on LCAs that rest in turn on the assumption that managed forests are always carbon neutral. This presentation lays out why it's important to add a "forest carbon-stock change" factor to the embodied carbon assessment of wood, and suggests a methodology for how this can be done. Also draws an important distinction between climate-smart forestry and carbon-friendly forestry. RUNNING TIME 22 MINUTES

Why and how key assumptions impact calculations of the substitution benefit of substituting wood for non-renewable materials. Argues that the degree to which substitution has a positive greenhouse gas input depends on:

1) Temporal change in displacement value

2) Cross-sector use of fossil carbon

3) Degree substitution actually occurs

4) The forest system supplying the wood

Concludes that the stated benefits of substitution are uncertain and unlikely to be as high as is commonly presented. RUNNING TIME 22:30 MINUTES

Featured presentation from Wood Carbon Seminars: Tackles the question "is wood carbon neutral" by exploring four possible approaches to conducting LCAs for wood products where system boundaries and key assumptions vary:

1) Traditional LCA approach which assumes neutrality for biogenic carbon and doesn't account for deforestation or forest degradation that results in net losses of forest carbon

2) Approach where carbon balance is accounted by the growth of new trees after trees are harvested which accounts for deforestation but involves assumptions or increased need for data collection

3) Supply area approach that can account for new losses of forest carbon in the forest landscape and is best aligned with how wood is procured

4) Based off on approach 2 but includes "foregone sequestration" -- a counterfactual where trees are allowed to grow instead of being logged but involves assumptions or increased need for data collection

RUNNING TIME 18:00 MINUTES

This webinar explains and demos a free, user-friendly calculator to calculate biogenic emissions for a variety of forest-based products. The calculator's aim is to support companies in the dynamic accounting of biogenic emissions of wood-based products, improving the quality of their greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and facilitating decision-making around the sustainable sourcing, design, and use of those products. MINUTE 3 THROUGH 36, RUNNING TIME 33 MINUTES