SBSTA 4 to SBSTA 19
An approach for estimating the net CO2 emissions from forest harvesting and wood products was
forwarded to the IPCC Plenary in 1996, as part of the Revised 1996 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas
Inventories. The IPCC Plenary then requested further technical work on approaches for estimating
emissions from harvested wood products (HWP) and sought guidance from the SBSTA on policy
implications. SBSTA 4 (FCCC/SBSTA/1996/20,
paragraph 33) welcomed the convening by the IPCC of an expert meeting that evaluated approaches for
estimating net emissions of CO2 from forest harvesting and wood products. It was at
SBSTA 11 that Parties started to consider the methodological issues relating to forest harvesting
and wood products (FCCC/SBSTA/1999/14,
paragraphs 66 and 69). Parties provided their views on approaches for estimating and accounting for
emissions of CO2 from forest harvesting and wood products, taking into account the outcome of
the IPCC expert meeting.
At its fourteenth session (FCCC/SBSTA/2001/2,
paragraphs 19-21), the SBSTA took note of these submissions (FCCC/SBSTA/2001/MISC.1)
and decided to consider this matter further at its fifteenth session.
At SBSTA 15 (FCCC/SBSTA/2001/8,
paragraph 29, sub-paragraphs (g), (j) - (m)), Parties considered several matters relating to the work of
the IPCC on the development of good practice guidance for LULUCF. At that time, the SBSTA noted the
intention of the IPCC to include harvested wood in the development of good practice guidance, while
maintaining consistency with 
decision
3/CP.5. The SBSTA also noted that such work should not pre-empt future discussions and work and
any relevant decisions relating to HWP.
Interested Parties were encouraged to continue their work on accounting for emissions from HWP and to
undertake informal collaboration on aspects of this topic. Parties were invited to submit their views
on the implications of harvested wood products accounting, including views on different approaches and
methodologies (FCCC/SBSTA/2003/MISC.1,
Add.1 and
Add.2).
These views were considered by SBSTA at its eighteenth session (FCCC/SBSTA/2003/10,
paragraph26(e)).
At this same session, the SBSTA requested the secretariat to prepare a technical paper on harvested wood
products. This technical paper (FCCC/TP/2003/7
and Corr.1) took
into account socio-economic and environmental impacts, including impacts on developing countries and was
based on, inter alia, submissions from Parties, the outcome of the IPCC expert meeting in Dakar, any
technical information related to the work of Parties in accounting for emissions from HWP, and other
relevant sources of information. The technical paper was prepared with the assistance of a limited
number of experts from the UNFCCC roster of experts.
The SBSTA, at its nineteenth session (FCCC/SBSTA/2003/15,
paragraph 27(a)-(e)), took note of the following:
- The information contained in the technical paper;
- The appendix on HWP to the report of the IPCC good practice guidance on LULUCF, the methodologies
relating to HWP in the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines and the references in the UNFCCC reporting guidelines
on annual inventories; and
- The methods for estimating and reporting of HWP currently used by Annex I Parties in their national
inventory reports.
It also requested the secretariat to organize a workshop on HWP before its twenty-first session.
Parties were invited to submit their views on issues relating to HWP, and their views may take
into account the information contained in the technical paper, the appendix on HWP to the IPCC good
practice guidance on LULUCF and any other relevant information. Parties were also invited to include
national data and methodological and other information on changes in carbon stocks and emissions of GHG
relating to HWP, stating the approach or approaches used for this purpose.
Harvested Wood Products at SBSTA
20-24
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