Effects of Norwegian wood stove use on climate and human health

Wood stoves are important to both Norway’s energy system and culture. However, their emissions contribute to climate change and health damages due to short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). The stove-specific and national scale effects of wood stove use in Norway remain insufficiently studied.This study integrates experimental SLCP emission data from three stove generations with high-resolution characterization factors for climate change and health impacts, assessing unit-level and national-scale effects. Climate impacts consider SLCPs and greenhouse gases across various metrics, while health impacts are assessed for cardiovascular diseases from particulate matter emissions in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).New stove models have a climate impact of 64 ± 16 gCO2eq. per MJ (GWP100), 42% lower than the oldest stove-generation. Black carbon (BC) is the largest contributor to warming. Its stronger Arctic effect doubles the total climate impact there compared to northern midlatitudes. Compared to the alternative heating methods considered, wood stoves show higher short-term climate effects (GWP20) but improve in comparison over longer time horizons. Health impacts decrease by 80% from the oldest to the newest stoves. At a national level, one year of wood stove use is responsible for 0.82 Mt CO2eq. (2% of the impact of Norway’s total emissions), with most of the impact (42%) occurring in spring. The annual health impact is 1031 DALYs, driven by fine particulate emissions. Results highlight strong seasonal and spatial variations, emphasizing the need for high-resolution assessments. Future stove innovations should prioritize reductions in BC emissions to further mitigate climate and health impacts.