Carbon Footprint and Climate Change Impacts from Chinese Consumption of Russian Timber Resources
HKUST IEMS Thought Leadership Brief No. 66
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China’s National Forest Protection Program (NFPP), first implemented in 1997, has resulted in a dramatic increase in harvested wood product (HWP) imports from Russia, for manufacturing goods mainly consumed within China. Bans on the importation of illegally extracted timber could reduce deforestation rates within Russia. Extending the usage life of HWP and keeping the material out of landfills upon disposal would also mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions.
About the Author
Jeffrey Chow is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Institute for Emerging Market Studies and at the HKUST Institute for Public Policy. Prior to joining HKUST, Dr. Chow served as a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellow and Special Assistant to the Chief Conservator of Forests for the Bangladesh Forest Department; Research Scientist and Technical Program Manager at Conservation International Hong Kong, and Consultant at Civic Exchange Hong Kong and Environmental Resources Management, Ltd.
Dr. Chow holds a PhD from Yale University and Master of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry degrees from Duke University. His peer-reviewed publications have appeared in Science, PLOS One, Land Economics, the Journal of Sustainable Forestry, Forest Policy and Economics, the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, and elsewhere. His research focuses on land economics and policy, as well as on the role of natural capital in climate change adaptation.
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