ForestPaths builds next-generation methods and tools which will aid in the quantification of policy pathways. These methods and tools help to better estimate the mitigation potential and biodiversity impact of the European forest-based bioeconomy, including the substitution and carbon storage effect of forest-based material and energy products, with appropriate time dynamics.
Material Flow Analysis
To assess the impacts of the different pathways, ForestPaths performed a dynamic Material Flow Analysis (MFA) of wood use related to the European forest-based sector. It was linked with EFI-GTM and IMAGE, focusing on the further processing of semi-finished wood products into finished products. The Material Flow Analysis will become available in 2025.
Life Cycle Assessment
Bw_timex is an open-source Python tool for time-explicit Life Cycle Assessment.
Aiphoria is an open-source python tool for assessing and visualising dynamically wood material flows.
ForestPaths Database
Available in August 2025
ForestPaths will exploit the improved tools to build a database with the product-level substitution and biodiversity factors of targeted forest-based material and energy products that will be used to assess the mitigation potential of the forest-based sector.
Biogenic carbon
Available in August 2026
The cradle-to-grave biodiversity impact of targeted products will be assessed. Biogenic carbon and biodiversity impact assessment methods will be developed to account for the impact of forest management in LCA. A database of characterisation factors for assessing biogenic carbon and biodiversity impact in LCA will be available.