Emissions trading schemes(ETSs)have been a central component of international climate change policies,as a carbon pricing tool to achieve emissions reduction targets.Forest carbon offset credits have been leveraged in...Emissions trading schemes(ETSs)have been a central component of international climate change policies,as a carbon pricing tool to achieve emissions reduction targets.Forest carbon offset credits have been leveraged in many ETSs to efficiently meet emission reduction targets,yet there is little knowledge about the perceptions,experiences,and challenges associated with the forest carbon offsetting in existing and pilot ETS.Given that the future inclusion of forest carbon offset in ETS management activities and policies will require strong support and acceptability among the institutions and experts involved in ETS,this study explores the experiences and lessons learned with 16 globally engaging experts representing major existing ETSs(North America,Europe,and New Zealand)and Chinese pilot ETSs towards the inclusion of forestry offsets,major concerns and challenges with existing implementation models.Findings revealed that many respondents particularly from North America,New Zealand,and Chinese pilot systems portrayed positive attitudes toward the inclusion of forestry carbon offsets and its role in contributing to a viable ETS,while European experts were not supportive.Respondents cited leakage,permanence,additionality,and monitoring design features as the major challenges and concerns that inhibit the expansion and inclusion of forest carbon offsetting.Respondents from Chinese pilot schemes referenced a unique set of challenges related to implementation,including the increasing cost of afforestation and reforestation projects,the uncertainty in the future supply and demand for their national Certified Emissions Reduction(CER)scheme and landowner engagement.Existing and future ETSs should learn from and address the challenges experienced by global experts and carbon pricing mechanisms to design,evaluate,or enhance their forest carbon offset programs for an effective and viable system that successfully contributes to GHG mitigation practices globally.We recommend inclusion of forest carbon offsets at the early stages of ETS improves the perceptions and experience of policy makers and practitioners toward the success and potential of forestry offsets in ETS ensuring familiarity and confidence in the mechanism.展开更多
Despite the agreement that China’s terrestrial ecosystems can provide a carbon sink and offset carbon dioxide(CO2)emissions from fossil fuels,the magnitude and spatial distribution of the sink remain uncertain.Accura...Despite the agreement that China’s terrestrial ecosystems can provide a carbon sink and offset carbon dioxide(CO2)emissions from fossil fuels,the magnitude and spatial distribution of the sink remain uncertain.Accurate quantification of the carbon sequestration capacity of China’s terrestrial ecosystems has profound scientific and policy implications.Here,we report on the magnitude and patterns of China’s terrestrial carbon sink using the global monthly CO2flux data product from the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite(GOSAT),the world’s first satellite dedicated to global greenhouse gas observation.We use the first year’s data from GOSAT(June 2009–May2010)that are currently available to assess China’s biospheric carbon fluxes.Our results show that China’s terrestrial ecosystems provide a carbon sink of-0.21 Pg C a-1.The consumption of fossil fuels in China leads to carbon dioxide emissions of 1.90 Pg C a-1into the atmosphere,approximately 11.1%of which is offset by China’s terrestrial ecosystems.China’s terrestrial ecosystems play a significant role in offsetting fossil fuel emissions and slowing down the buildup of CO2in the atmosphere.Our analysis based on GOSAT data offers a new perspective on the magnitude and distribution of China’s carbon sink.Our results show that China’s terrestrial ecosystems provide a sizeable and uncertain carbon sink,and further research is needed to reduce the uncertainty in its magnitude and distribution.展开更多
基金funded by the China Green Carbon Foundation and the Faculty of Forestry,University of British Columbia。
文摘Emissions trading schemes(ETSs)have been a central component of international climate change policies,as a carbon pricing tool to achieve emissions reduction targets.Forest carbon offset credits have been leveraged in many ETSs to efficiently meet emission reduction targets,yet there is little knowledge about the perceptions,experiences,and challenges associated with the forest carbon offsetting in existing and pilot ETS.Given that the future inclusion of forest carbon offset in ETS management activities and policies will require strong support and acceptability among the institutions and experts involved in ETS,this study explores the experiences and lessons learned with 16 globally engaging experts representing major existing ETSs(North America,Europe,and New Zealand)and Chinese pilot ETSs towards the inclusion of forestry offsets,major concerns and challenges with existing implementation models.Findings revealed that many respondents particularly from North America,New Zealand,and Chinese pilot systems portrayed positive attitudes toward the inclusion of forestry carbon offsets and its role in contributing to a viable ETS,while European experts were not supportive.Respondents cited leakage,permanence,additionality,and monitoring design features as the major challenges and concerns that inhibit the expansion and inclusion of forest carbon offsetting.Respondents from Chinese pilot schemes referenced a unique set of challenges related to implementation,including the increasing cost of afforestation and reforestation projects,the uncertainty in the future supply and demand for their national Certified Emissions Reduction(CER)scheme and landowner engagement.Existing and future ETSs should learn from and address the challenges experienced by global experts and carbon pricing mechanisms to design,evaluate,or enhance their forest carbon offset programs for an effective and viable system that successfully contributes to GHG mitigation practices globally.We recommend inclusion of forest carbon offsets at the early stages of ETS improves the perceptions and experience of policy makers and practitioners toward the success and potential of forestry offsets in ETS ensuring familiarity and confidence in the mechanism.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program-Climate Change: Carbon Budget and Relevant Issues of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05040401)the National High-Tech R&D Program of China (2013AA122002)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation through the MacroSystems Biology Program (1065777)
文摘Despite the agreement that China’s terrestrial ecosystems can provide a carbon sink and offset carbon dioxide(CO2)emissions from fossil fuels,the magnitude and spatial distribution of the sink remain uncertain.Accurate quantification of the carbon sequestration capacity of China’s terrestrial ecosystems has profound scientific and policy implications.Here,we report on the magnitude and patterns of China’s terrestrial carbon sink using the global monthly CO2flux data product from the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite(GOSAT),the world’s first satellite dedicated to global greenhouse gas observation.We use the first year’s data from GOSAT(June 2009–May2010)that are currently available to assess China’s biospheric carbon fluxes.Our results show that China’s terrestrial ecosystems provide a carbon sink of-0.21 Pg C a-1.The consumption of fossil fuels in China leads to carbon dioxide emissions of 1.90 Pg C a-1into the atmosphere,approximately 11.1%of which is offset by China’s terrestrial ecosystems.China’s terrestrial ecosystems play a significant role in offsetting fossil fuel emissions and slowing down the buildup of CO2in the atmosphere.Our analysis based on GOSAT data offers a new perspective on the magnitude and distribution of China’s carbon sink.Our results show that China’s terrestrial ecosystems provide a sizeable and uncertain carbon sink,and further research is needed to reduce the uncertainty in its magnitude and distribution.
