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Assessing land-use impacts of biomass consumption in a globalized world

West Kalimantan, Borneo. 2009. Photo: David Gilbert/RAN

Assessing land-use impacts of biomass consumption in a globalized world

How much deforestation is embodied in your consumption? Take the opportunity to discuss this with Thomas Kastner who is visiting Chalmers University of Technology from the Institute of Social Ecology in Vienna. Next Friday, April 1st Focali co-arranges this seminar at Chalmers where Thomas will present his work on linking agricultural commodity production and associated environmental impacts to consumers, through global supply chains.

What Focali seminar
When Apr 01, 2016 01:15 PM to
Apr 01, 2016 02:30 PM
Where Chalmers, Rännvägen 6, room Analysen
Contact Name
Contact Phone 031-786 9222
Attendees Thomas Kastner
Martin Persson
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About the seminar: 

Global trade volumes of agricultural and forestry products are increasing rapidly, and with them the influence of consumers on land-use decisions in distant locations. To address negative environmental impacts of land use, a proper understanding of its consumption-side drivers is crucial. Such an understanding is hampered by the increasingly complex supply chains of biomass products. In the presentation, Thomas will outline a method that allows to consistently link consumption of biomass products to the country where they were grown. The approach relies purely on biophysical data, for production and bilateral trade, and is suited assess land-use impacts associated with the provision of biomass products from a consumption perspective. He will briefly compare the method to other, more common approaches of consumption-based accounting. Thomas will in addition present some applications on assessments of the impact biomass consumption has on cropland demand as well as on carbon flows and stocks in ecosystems.

After Thomas presentation Focali member Martin Persson will moderate an open discussion.

Related Focali publications:

Thomas Kastner has worked together with Focali members Martin Persson and Sabine Henders and is a co-author of their recently published article “Trading forests: land-use change and carbon emissions embodied in production and exports of forest-risk commodities” and the related Focali brief “Agricultural commodity consumption and trade responsible for over 40% of tropical deforestation” published ahead of COP21.


How to find the seminar venue:

To find the room Analysen, start by entering the entrance to the EDIT-building at Chalmer University of Technology, Rännvägen 6. Walk up the stairs to the third floor and in through the door to “Avdelningen för Miljösystemanalys”. In the corridor at “Miljösystemanalys”, take the stairs down to the right that leads to the lunchroom. Walk through the lunchroom to find the meeting room.


To register / for questions
please contact:
Maria Ölund, Project Coordinator Focali
maria.olund@gu.se 031-7869222

 


 

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