Box 11. What does ‘carbon neutrality’ mean?

There is no widely accepted definition of ‘carbon neutrality’. Generally, ‘carbon neutrality’ is achieved when the amount of carbon released from the production process is offset by an equivalent amount captured in new growth, thus resulting in net zero emissions. Wood harvested from forests with stable or increasing carbon stocks can be considered carbon neutral (WBCSD, 2013). In contrast, wood from forests that are being converted to non-forest land use would not be carbon neutral. Additionally, greenhouse gas emissions are released along the production process of wood products. Hence, wood products might not be carbon neutral if additional steps are not taken to offset the emissions from the production process (Lippke, Wilson, Meil, and Taylor, 2009).