China's wood-based panels help tackle climate change

BEIJING -- China's flourishing wood-based panel industry is helping protect forests and woods, which will eventually lead to reduced carbon dioxide emission worldwide, industry experts say.

The product, widely used for furniture, is conducive to the protection of limited forests and woods, said Zhu Guangqian, Honorary Director of China's Timber & Wood Production Distribution Association.

Instead of cutting logs, Chinese enterprises mainly choose forestry residues and unqualified log as raw material, Zhu said, noting that China has limited forests, therefore it has to use alternatives in manufacture, such as the wood-based panel.

The product aids the protection of forests and woods, and the increasing of forests is helpful in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and solving the climate changes, said Qian Xiaoyu, Head Commissioner of Fiber panel of China National Forest Products Industry Association.

China is the largest producer and consumer of wood-based panel, yielding 200 million cubic meters a year, with revenue topping 800 billion yuan (about $131.2 billion), he said.

The development of the wood-based panel industry offers quality raw sources for wooden material, and creates 700,000 jobs, he said.