Updated emissions for all sectors including residential wood combustion were developed for the year 2019 and for 2030 including both a baseline and the two scenarios. This was done on a high-resolution map of 1 km x 1 km. This enables the quantification of the health impacts of the different emission reduction scenarios. In the case of residential wood combustion, it includes air pollution associated with heat appliances like woodstoves, fireplaces, masonry stoves, saunas, boilers and pellet stoves, capturing the technological differences across Nordic countries.
Potential mitigation measures are grouped in a technology scenario and a zero-emission zone-based scenario. In the technology scenario, older combustion appliances are replaced with newer technology to reduce emissions. The zone-based scenario either reduces or bans residential wood combustion in selected areas. The technology scenario generally has a national scope or includes a large part of the country, whereas the zone-based scenario targets selected populated urban areas or areas with district heating.
The scenarios are different in the different Nordic countries to reflect the differences in the level of feasibility and ambition in the debate on mitigation measures in the countries. These tailor-made scenarios are designed and developed by national emission and air quality experts.
Despite many similarities between the Nordic countries, there are also differences in the character of the residential wood combustion sector. In Denmark, wood is combusted predominately in relatively light iron stoves and it is mainly focused on creating cosiness. In Norway, iron stoves are also the most common appliance type, but they are also used as an important heating source in rural cabins and even in some apartment buildings in cities. In Sweden, large appliances and wood boilers are commonly used as a primary heat source. In Finland, heavy-built masonry heaters are the most common combustion appliances, and sauna stoves are important with relatively high emissions. These national characters and their differences are important to take into account when assessing emission mitigation opportunities in the Nordic countries. The access to stoves as a backup heating source is regarded as important from an energy security point of view, especially in rural areas in Finland, Norway and Sweden, where power cuts are quite common.