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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides a methodological framework for evaluating
environmental performance over the life cycle o f a product, process, or an activity. In Sri Lanka,
majority o f timber for wood based industries comes from homegardens and Government owned forest
plantations. State Timber Corporation (STC) is the authoritative body for timber harvesting in state
owned forest plantations. This LCA study was carried out to calculate Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
emissions o f the STC timber movements from the plantation to the finished product. The study
concentrated on teak, eucalypt and mahogany species as they represented fast moving commercial
timber o f high significance. Assessment boundary was from the harvesting to the product. Updated
emission factors were used to calculate the CO2 eq units. When considering the emissions during the
process, the highest was recorded in the sawmilling process (48% from sawing, 9% from surfacing and
9% from drying). The transportation accounted for 31.25% o f emissions while harvesting contributed
to 6%. Other indirect emissions accounted for 2.75%.
