Consumption of fuelwood and its potential outside the forest

20.01.09 - Raw material wood is in great demand in Switzerland. In order to satisfy rising demand for it as fuelwood and as a material, new wood sources must be mobilised.

During maintenance of road and river embankments, nature reserves and municipal parks brushwood is produced which has been little used to date. Exact details of how much brushwood grows back in such areas and what it is used for do not exist.

This study, which we completed in collaboration with Interface Politikstudien, addresses the following aspects:

• Supply of brushwood: In which areas does brushwood occur? How large is its potential utilisation for sustainable energy?
• Demand for brushwood: What is brushwood used for? How much is used as fuelwood per annum?
• Costs and prices: What costs are associated with the cultivation and management of brushwood areas? What prices does brushwood command in the market?
• Method for systematic recording of the annual amount of brushwood: Which requirements does a method for systematic records have to satisfy? Which userfriendly and practical method is appropriate for systematic recording?

Answers to these questions are elaborated using different methodological approaches. The main focus is on interviews with market players and derivation of potential using a GIS model.