Transport-Related Carbon Emissions of Imported Timber Supply in Kazakhstan

Abstract

In the context of Kazakhstan’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, assessing transport-related CO₂ emissions associated with imported timber supply has become increasingly important. For Kazakhstan, this issue is particularly relevant for Kazakhstan because its woodworking industry depends heavily on imported timber transported over long distances. The objective of this study was to assess CO₂ emissions generated during the transportation of imported sawn timber to Kazakhstan, through a comparative analysis of transport-related CO₂ emissions under different logistics scenarios and a comparison of logistics scenarios. The study considers three logistics supply scenarios: rail transport, road transport, and a combined scenario (rail transport followed by a road segment). Calculations were based on a distance-oriented model using average emission factors consistent with international databases. One tonne of sawn timber is adopted as the functional unit. The results showed that rail transport provides the lowest emission level (62 kg CO₂/t), whereas road transport generated substantially higher transport-related CO₂ emissions (153 kg CO₂/t). The combined scenario demonstrates an intermediate value (148.5 kg CO₂/t), indicating the substantial influence of the road transport share on total emissions.