New Values: Policies to Manage Forest Carbon

Rest of term November 12 - forest carbon 1, Tutorial 4 November 14 – carbon (cont)

Brief due November 18 (Monday) – EBM simulation November 19 (Lecture) – comparative November 19 (evening) – area-based

simulation November 21 – conclusion 1 November 26 – conclusion 2 November 28 – NO CLASS December 12 – 3:30-5:30 final exam

November 12, 2013 2

Context: Forest Offset Controversy

November 12, 2013 3

Key question: are carbon offsets… legitimate reductions in GHGs that

should, if properly regulated, play an meaningful role in climate policy

or

Sketchy subsidies that provide dubious contributions to reducing GHGs, and should not be including in sincere climate policiesNovember 12, 2013 4

Agenda – today and Thursday

Emerging values Forest Carbon 100 How forests can contribute to GHG mitigation BC Climate policy

General Forest carbon

Policy Design Issues Promoting Wood Bioenergy (briefly) conclusion

November 12, 2013 5

Emerging Values “British Columbia is already world-

renowned for reforestation. Now we have an opportunity to increase the amount of carbon our forests sequester, and harness the economic potential of carbon offsets. This will not only strengthen the forest sector and the communities that depend on it, it will remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and help meet our climate change goals.”

Pat Bell April 3, 2009

November 12, 2013 6

7

Carbon in forests Tony Lempriere (CFS)

There is a LOT of carbon in forests:

50% of the weight of wood is carbon

1 m3 of wood = about 0.25 tonnes of

carbon= almost 1 tonne of CO2

= about the same amount of carbon as in 350 litres of gasoline

8

Forest carbon cycle Tony Lempriere (CFS)

Carbon is stored in many pools, and emitted from and added to each pool over time

Harvesting, decomposition, and fire emit greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (i.e. they result in sources)

Forest growth removes or sequesters carbon from the atmosphere (i.e. they result in sinks)

Agenda Emerging values Forest Carbon 100 How forests can contribute to GHG mitigation BC Climate policy

General Forest carbon

Policy Design Issues Promoting Wood bioenergy conclusion

November 12, 2013 9

10

Forests and forestry cannot solve the problem of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions – but they can contribute to the solution

Canada’s forests and climatechange mitigation Tony Lempriere (CFS)

Forest management can reduce sources and increase sinks

Forests are a sustainable source of products characterized by long-term storage of carbon, and they supply bioenergy

Forest contribution to mitigation Afforestation

Plant new forests on marginal agricultural land

Avoiding deforestation (permanent loss of forest) Changing forest management

▪ harvesting practices▪ Rate of cut▪ Regeneration▪ protection against fire and insects

Use and disposal of harvested wood products▪ Produce longer-lived products, substitution for emissions-intensive materials,

recycling, improve management of landfills

Wood bioenergy▪ Use wood for power generation, bio-fuels

Bio-economy – displace petrochemical based materialsNovember 12, 2013 11

Carbon Balance – BC Forests

November 12, 2013 12

BC 2010 emissions

November 12, 2013 13

What counted and not from forests Counted: Emissions from deforestation

(i.e., releases at the time of deforestation and the residual decay of dead organic matter) and removals from afforestation (i.e., new trees absorbing and storing CO2 from the atmosphere).

Not counted: “normal” forest management, natural disturbance 82 million tonnes

▪ Increased 88% since 2007November 12, 2013 14

Agenda Emerging values Forest Carbon 100 How forests can contribute to GHG mitigation BC Climate policy

General Forest carbon

Policy Design Issues Promoting Wood bioenergy conclusion

November 12, 2013 15

FRST 415Agenda-Setting

Policy Formulation

Decisionmaking

Policy Implementation

Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy cycle – implementation stage

Policy design Strategic actor

analysis

16

Agenda – Forest carbon policy BC climate policy Affiliated climate policy Struggling forest sector

November 12, 2013 17

18

BC’s mitigation challengeBC’s GHG emissions (including afforestation &

deforestation)Actual 1990-2007 emissions, and targets to 2050

Note: Targets as per GHG Reductions Target Act: 33% below 2007 level by 2020, and 80% by 2050. Interim targets established for 2012 and 2016.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Mill

ion

tonn

es o

f CO

2e

2007

2020 target

2050target

How best can forests contribute to meeting targets?

BC GHG policy - targets

Climate Action Plan June 2008 Provincial reduction target:

33% below 2007 levels by 2020 80% below 2007 levels by 2050

Public sector carbon neutrality by 2010 Emission offset regulation

Must use Pacific Carbon Trust

November 12, 2013 19

BC GHG policy - forests No net deforestation Forests for Tomorrow, $161 million 4-

year investment in reforestation Trees for Tomorrow, urban forest tree

planting Bioenergy Strategy Promote use of wood Forest carbon offset policy

November 12, 2013 20

Clarifying terms

Offset: a net reduction in emissions created when organizations invest in another company's emissions-reducing activities (PCT)

Permit or allowance: under “cap and trade” system, legal authorization to emit certain amount (they are tradeable)

Offsets can be part of cap and trade system but are usually regulated

“Cap and trade” instructional videoNovember 12, 2013 21

Thursday

BC carbon offset policy and controversy

November 12, 2013 22

2013 Forest Policy Simulation Agenda

Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, 2916EBM Monday November 18

Relaxing Constraints Tuesday November 19 5:00-6:00 Initial Presentation from Caucuses (5

minutes each)6:00-6:45 Facilitator Identification of areas of

agreement and disagreement6:45-7:15 Dinner Break:  Group meetings7:15-8:15 Narrow range of disagreements8:15-8:45 Establish consensus position or range

of option8:45-9:00 Debrief

23