Data used in "Burning Up the Carbon Sink"

README for these files.

This dataset was used to generate analyses for the paper, "Burning Up the Carbon Sink"

Data were downloaded from publicly available databases. More details on databases and methodologies are available in Supporting Material for the manuscript, which has also been uploaded. 

The Excel file contains all data and some formulae; the .csv files are values only.  The tabs in the Excel file and the filenames of the CSV files are the same. 

We recommend that any user wishing to replicate our analysis download fresh data from the sources we used, as data is continuously updated, and sometimes previous years' data is also revised upon new information.

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FILENAME: 
Conversion factors

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Conversion factors used in the analysis for biomass energy content (in TJ or PJ) to green tonnes biomass

SOURCE(S): 
Forest Research. (2017). Joint Wood Energy Enquiry: 2017 (Excel file). Retrieved from https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/topics/international-returns/joint-wood-energy-enquiry/ 

Annex I of European Commission, 2012. Comission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32012R0601 

KEY VARIABLES: 
TJ energy per green tonne biomass for wood, black liquor, and “other” biomass

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FILENAME:
Land sink & biomass CO2, EU

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
UNFCCC CO2e emissions data by year for categories of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (4), Forest Land Remaining Forest Land (4.A.1); and Harvested Wood Products (4.G), for EU (27 countries)

SOURCE(S): 
Land GHG data (European Union Convention) from https://di.unfccc.int/flex_annex1 

KEY VARIABLES: 
CO2e (tonnes) for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (4), Forest Land Remaining Forest Land (4.A.1); and Harvested Wood Products (4.G)

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FILENAME: 
Land GHG data, by MS

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
CO2e emissions data by year for UNFCCC categories of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (4), Forest Land Remaining Forest Land (4.A.1); and Harvested Wood Products (4.G), for 27 EU Member States 

2030 land sector target for each EU Member State, as set out in LULUCF Regulation

SOURCE(S): 
UNFCCC Combined Reporting Format tables (UNFCCC, 2023) from https://di.unfccc.int/flex_annex1 

European Parliament and Council. (2018). Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU.  Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02018R0841-20230511

KEY VARIABLES: 
CO2e (tonnes) for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (4), Forest Land Remaining Forest Land (4.A.1); and Harvested Wood Products (4.G)

Averaged values for the UNFCCC category data for 1990-1992; 2009-2011; and 2019-2022

Land sector targets for 2030, CO2 (million tonnes) from EU LULUCF Regulation

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FILENAME: 
Indigenous Prod EU

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Indigenous production of solid biomass for energy in the EU27, 1990-2022

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Database: Supply, Transformation, and consumption of renewables and wastes (NRG_CB_RW), data in TJ converted to green tonnes of wood or other biomass

KEY VARIABLES: 
Indigenous production (TJ), converted to green tonnes biomass, for: 
Wood (excl. pellets): = [‘Fuelwood, wood residues and byproducts’ – ‘Wood pellets’]
Wood pellets: ‘Wood pellets’
Black Liquor: ‘Black Liquor’
Other veg. & residues: ‘Other vegetal material and residues’
Bagasse: ‘Bagasse’
Animal waste: ‘Animal waste’
Renewable industrial waste: ‘Renewable fraction of industrial waste’

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FILENAME: 
Indigenous Prod 2022 MS

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Indigenous production of solid biomass for energy for Member States of the EU27, 1990-2022

SOURCE: 
Eurostat Database: Supply, Transformation, and consumption of renewables and wastes (NRG_CB_RW), data in TJ converted to green tonnes of wood or other biomass

KEY VARIABLES: 
Indigenous production (TJ), converted to green tonnes biomass, for: 
Wood (excl. pellets): = [‘Fuelwood, wood residues and byproducts’ – ‘Wood pellets’]
Wood pellets: ‘Wood pellets’
Black Liquor: ‘Black Liquor’
Other veg. & residues: ‘Other vegetal material and residues’
Bagasse: ‘Bagasse’
Animal waste: ‘Animal waste’
Renewable industrial waste: ‘Renewable fraction of industrial waste’

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FILENAME: 
Total Energy Balances 

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Primary production, Imports, Exports, Change in Stock, Statistical Differences for primary solid biofuels (TJ) for EU Member States, 1990-2022

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Database: Complete Energy Balances (NRG_BAL_C)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Primary prodution, Imports, Exports, Change in Stock, Statistical Differences for primary solid biofuels (TJ)

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FILENAME: 
EU27 consump solid biomass

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Eurostat Database: Complete Energy Balances (NRG_BAL_C) in TJ 
Eurostat Database: Supply, Transformation, and consumption of renewables and wastes (NRG_CB_RW) in TJ, converted to green tonnes biomass

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Database: Complete Energy Balances (NRG_BAL_C)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Consumption (as green tonnes) of: 
Fuelwood
Black liquor
Other biomass

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FILENAME: 
UK consump solid biomass

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Data (as ktoe, converted to green tonnes) of woody biomass consumed in UK for electricity 

SOURCE(S): 
Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Table 6.1, Renewables and waste: commodity balances (UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2024)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Energy sector heat = ‘Transformation’ heat generation
Electricity only = ‘Transformation’ electricity generation 
Residential, other heating = ‘Other’ (domestic, public administration, commercial, agriculture, miscellaneous)

Data on ‘waste wood’, ‘wood’, and ‘plant biomass’ (which as noted in datafile is mostly wood) supplied in ktoe was converted to TJ, then converted to green tonnes.

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FILENAME: 
Consumption by enduse, EU

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Data for EU (27 Member States) on transformation input and final consumption (TJ) by sector, converted to million green tonnes biomass, 1990-2022

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Complete energy balances (NRG_BAL_C)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer electricity only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer combined heat and power - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer heat only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer electricity only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer combined heat and power - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer heat only - energy use
Final consumption - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - paper, pulp and printing - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - wood and wood products - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - commercial and public services - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - households - energy use

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FILENAME: 
Consumption by enduse, MS, 2022

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Data for EU Member States on transformation input and final consumption (TJ) by sector, converted to million green tonnes biomass, 2022

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Complete energy balances (NRG_BAL_C)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer electricity only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer combined heat and power - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - main activity producer heat only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer electricity only - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer combined heat and power - energy use
Transformation input - electricity and heat generation - autoproducer heat only - energy use
Final consumption - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - paper, pulp and printing - energy use
Final consumption - industry sector - wood and wood products - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - commercial and public services - energy use
Final consumption - other sectors - households - energy use

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FILENAME: 
Sankey enduse data, 2022

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Data (in PJ) for biomass sources and end uses in Sankey diagram

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat (NRG_BAL_C)

KEY VARIABLES: 
Biomass use (PJ) in:
Energy Industry
Industry
Other sectors
Electricity only
CHP
Heat only
Charcoal
Households
Commercial
Forestry
Pulp Industry
Wood Industry
Other Industries

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FILENAME: 
Biomass use per capita, 2022

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Calculated biomass use (green tonnes per capita) of biomass in all sectors, and for residential and other heating, 2022

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Population on 1 January [TPS00001]
Biomass data from “Consumption by enduse”, above, for each Member State

KEY VARIABLES: 
Green tonnes per person, all biomass use
Green tonnes per person, residential plus other heating

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FILENAME: 
Import-export dependency

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
Calculated ratio of net trade (import-export) to total consumption of solid biomass in the EU27 and each Member State in 2022.

SOURCE(S): 
Eurostat Complete Energy Balances [NRG_BAL_C] for primary solid biofuels

KEY VARIABLES: 
Import dependency [%] = (Import – Export)/Total consumption = (Import – Export) / (Primary Production + Import – Export + Change in stock – Statistical Differences)

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FILENAME: 
FAOSTAT HWP data

WHAT THE FILE CONTAINS: 
FAO data on production of harvested wood products in the EU27

SOURCE(S): 
FAOSTAT database: Forestry Production and Trade, Element: Production [5516]

KEY VARIABLES: 
Sawnwood (Item code 1872)
Wood-based panels (Item code 1873)
Paper and Paperboard (Item code 1876)

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