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Analysis of the Global Warming Potential of Biogenic CO₂ Emission in Life Cycle Assessments.

ABSTRACT: Biomass is generally believed to be carbon neutral. However, recent studies have challenged the carbon neutrality hypothesis by introducing metric indicators to assess the global warming potential of biogenic CO₂ (GWP_bio). In this study we calculated the GWP_bio factors using a forest growth model and radiative forcing effects with a time horizon of 100 years and applied the factors to five life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies of bioproducts. The forest carbon change was also accounted for in the LCA studies. GWP_bio factors ranged from 0.13-0.32, indicating that biomass could be an attractive energy resource when compared with fossil fuels. As expected, short rotation and fast-growing biomass plantations produced low GWP_bio. Long-lived wood products also allowed more regrowth of biomass to be accounted as absorption of the CO₂ emission from biomass combustion. The LCA case studies showed that the total life cycle GHG emissions were closely related to GWP_bio and energy conversion efficiency. By considering the GWP_bio factors and the forest carbon change, the production of ethanol and bio-power appeared to have higher GHG emissions than petroleum-derived diesel at the highest GWP_bio.

SUBMITTER: Liu W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5206676 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Analysis of the Global Warming Potential of Biogenic CO2 Emission in Life Cycle Assessments.

Liu Weiguo W Zhang Zhonghui Z Xie Xinfeng X Yu Zhen Z von Gadow Klaus K Xu Junming J Zhao Shanshan S Yang Yuchun Y

Scientific reports 20170103

Biomass is generally believed to be carbon neutral. However, recent studies have challenged the carbon neutrality hypothesis by introducing metric indicators to assess the global warming potential of biogenic CO2 (GWPbio). In this study we calculated the GWPbio factors using a forest growth model and radiative forcing effects with a time horizon of 100 years and applied the factors to five life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies of bioproducts. The forest carbon ...[more]

PMID: 28045111

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Project description:The global demand for beef is rapidly increasing (FAO, 2019), raising concern about climate change impacts (Clark et al., 2020; Leip et al., 2015; Springmann et al., 2018). Beef and dairy contribute over 70% of livestock greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), which collectively contribute ~6.3 Gt CO2 -eq/year (Gerber et al., 2013; Herrero et al., 2016) and account for 14%-18% of human GHG emissions (Friedlingstein et al., 2019; Gerber et al., 2013). The utility of beef GHG mitigation strategies, such as land-based carbon (C) sequestration and increased production efficiency, are actively debated (Garnett et al., 2017). We compiled 292 local comparisons of "improved" versus "conventional" beef production systems across global regions, assessing net GHG emission data from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. Our results indicate that net beef GHG emissions could be reduced substantially via changes in management. Overall, a 46 % reduction in net GHG emissions per unit of beef was achieved at sites using carbon (C) sequestration management strategies on grazed lands, and an 8% reduction in net GHGs was achieved at sites using growth efficiency strategies. However, net-zero emissions were only achieved in 2% of studies. Among regions, studies from Brazil had the greatest improvement, with management strategies for C sequestration and efficiency reducing beef GHG emissions by 57%. In the United States, C sequestration strategies reduced beef GHG emissions by over 100% (net-zero emissions) in a few grazing systems, whereas efficiency strategies were not successful at reducing GHGs, possibly because of high baseline efficiency in the region. This meta-analysis offers insight into pathways to substantially reduce beef production's global GHG emissions. Nonetheless, even if these improved land-based and efficiency management strategies could be fully applied globally, the trajectory of growth in beef demand will likely more than offset GHG emissions reductions and lead to further warming unless there is also reduced beef consumption.

Dataset Information

Analysis of the Global Warming Potential of Biogenic CO₂ Emission in Life Cycle Assessments.

Publications

Analysis of the Global Warming Potential of Biogenic CO<sub>2</sub> Emission in Life Cycle Assessments.

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