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
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, 2009November 12, 2013 6
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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
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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
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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 materials
November 12, 2013 11
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 2007
November 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 415
Agenda-Setting
Policy Formulation
Decisionmaking
Policy Implementation
Monitoring and Evaluation
Policy cycle – implementation stage
Policy design Strategic actor
analysis
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Agenda – Forest carbon policy
BC climate policy Affiliated climate policy Struggling forest sector
November 12, 2013 17
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BC’s mitigation challenge
BC’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.
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10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Millio
n t
on
ne
s o
f C
O2
e
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 video
November 12, 2013 21
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
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