§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether wood used in wood products is assessed by her Department as a carbon sink; what research has been undertaken into the use of carbon sinks as an environmental measure; and if she will make a statement. [125117]
§ Mr. MorleyThe UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory submitted annually to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN-FCCC) includes an allowance for carbon in wood products produced from timber harvested in the UK. This estimate is provided as part of the research sponsored by Government and the devolved Administrations on the use of sinks in helping to stabilise greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The scientific evidence from this research, and that carried out in other countries, underpins UK policies and international agreements on the importance of protecting and enhancing carbon sinks as required by the UN-FCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.