Harvested wood products carbon accounting in a Mediterranean country: An application of the IPCC Production Approach

Harvested Wood Products (HWP) constitute an important carbon pool within the LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) sector, contributing to carbon storage and climate change mitigation. This study quantifies annual changes in HWP carbon stocks in Greece for the period 2012–2024 using the IPCC Production Approach with Tier 2 country-specific activity data. Carbon stock changes were estimated for HWP in use and in solid waste disposal sites (SWDS) at prefecture, regional and national levels. Results indicate a gradual decline in net carbon sequestration, from −0.16 Gg CO ² in 2012 to −0.099 Gg CO ² in 2024, primarily associated with reduced domestic roundwood harvest and the predominance of short-lived wood products such as fuelwood. Spatial analysis revealed notable regional variability in carbon stock changes, with northern regions contributing more positively to national carbon storage. The findings highlight structural constraints of the Greek forestry sector and emphasise the importance of long-lived wood products, domestic wood production and improved recycling and waste management practices for enhancing carbon storage potential. The study contributes applied evidence for the implementation of IPCC HWP carbon accounting in Mediterranean forestry systems, where country-specific assessments remain relatively limited.