The European thought

Starting from the year 2000, the European Council has been developing a strategy aimed at making the European economy more dynamic and competitive, without breaking its commitment to sustainable development. The first aspect is the will to monitor climate change in order to develop a sustainable management of natural resources and prevent the standstill of biodiversity in Europe. Panguaneta and other European businesses working in the wood sector have committed themselves to these issues, due to the fact that the raw material they use comes from forests managed according to the principles of the sustainable economy.  As stated by the European Commission, “forest products play an essential role in mitigating climate change and help the removal of carbon from the atmosphere". (DG Enterprise, Report regarding the role of forest products in climate change mitigation – 2004).

A system ideal for reducing greenhouse gases

Specific properties such as the capacity to hold carbon dioxide, the high recyclability, the full renewability of the raw material and the lower content of fossil fuel compared to other materials, make Panguaneta products an ideal system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions within a policy of fight against climate changes.

The greenhouse effect

Solar radiation reaches the earth through the atmosphere and warms its surface. The stored energy is then released into space as infrared radiation.  Due to the fact that the radiation released by the earth is less powerful than the absorbed one, it is increasingly less able to go through the barrier of some gases present in the atmosphere and known as greenhouse gases. There exist a natural greenhouse effect (which keeps the planet temperature high) and a greenhouse effect mainly linked to human activities, which causes a sudden increase in CO2. There is no doubt the climate is changing or that this change has increased because of, in particular, human activities. According to the last report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the twentieth century has been the hottest one since the beginning of temperature registration.

Consequences

The first effects of climate change have been widely documented and have marked the beginning of future environmental changes of great importance. Due to the complexity and variety of the earth’s ecosystem interactions, the effects of changes are difficult to foresee. However, the studies carried out until now show significant trends, such as the melting of the Polar icecap, the increase in the incidence of disasters caused by extreme meteorological conditions, the rise of the sea level and changes in natural habitats, which will cause a loss of animal and vegetable species…

Panguaneta virtuous circle

A higher use of wood-based products boosts the expansion of European forests and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, replacing products with a high fossil fuel content. The European Commission is currently studying the modalities to encourage these trends, to which our company is strongly committed.  Moreover, silviculture and wood products help EC countries reach the goals established by the Kyoto protocol. Using wood processing rejects and waste as source of energy represents the final link of the wood virtuous cycle.  Wood provides an alternative energy to fossil fuel, which can be used instead of being wasted in dumping grounds. Due to the fact that wood combustion releases in the atmosphere only the carbon dioxide previously absorbed by the growing trees, it does not contribute to the global warming or the greenhouse effect.