The contribution of forest carbon credit projects to addressing the climate change challenge

Gaast, Wytze van der; Sikkema, R.; Vohrer, Moriz

doi:10.1080/14693062.2016.1242056

Cited by 89 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…To these we can now add OC storage in riparian soil and biomass. Current emphases on upland afforestation as a means of carbon sequestration (Van der Gaast et al 2016) should be expanded to explicitly include riparian areas.…”

Section: Concepts and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon dynamics of river corridors and the effects of human alterations

Wohl

Hall

Lininger

et al. 2017

Ecological Monographs

106

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Research in stream metabolism, gas exchange, and sediment dynamics indicates that rivers are an active component of the global carbon cycle and that river form and process can influence partitioning of terrestrially derived carbon among the atmosphere, geosphere, and ocean. Here we develop a conceptual model of carbon dynamics (inputs, outputs, and storage of organic carbon) within a river corridor, which includes the active channel and the riparian zone. The exchange of carbon from the channel to the riparian zone represents potential for storage of transported carbon not included in the “active pipe” model of organic carbon (OC) dynamics in freshwater systems. The active pipe model recognizes that river processes influence carbon dynamics, but focuses on CO2 emissions from the channel and eventual delivery to the ocean. We also review how human activities directly and indirectly alter carbon dynamics within river corridors. We propose that dams create the most significant alteration of carbon dynamics within a channel, but that alteration of riparian zones, including the reduction of lateral connectivity between the channel and riparian zone, constitutes the most substantial change of carbon dynamics in river corridors. We argue that the morphology and processes of a river corridor regulate the ability to store, transform, and transport OC, and that people are pervasive modifiers of river morphology and processes. The net effect of most human activities, with the notable exception of reservoir construction, appears to be that of reducing the ability of river corridors to store OC within biota and sediment, which effectively converts river corridors to OC sources rather than OC sinks. We conclude by summarizing knowledge gaps in OC dynamics and the implications of our findings for managing OC dynamics within river corridors.

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Section: Concepts and Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon dynamics of river corridors and the effects of human alterations

Wohl

Hall

Lininger

et al. 2017

Ecological Monographs

106

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“…For example, an extreme die-off event in the Pacific Southwest domain (figure 1) affects the other NEON domains covering the US and therefore affects the US net carbon balance. International incentives for carbon sequestration through forest conservation currently ignore any potential for teleconnected effects (Jayachandran et al 2017, van der Gaast et al 2018. Second, the ecoclimate teleconnections we quantify reveal potential vulnerabilities in carbon storage of a given region to tree die-off in regions that are under other administrative control (e.g.…”

Section: Implications For Carbon Accountingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continental-scale consequences of tree die-offs in North America: identifying where forest loss matters most

Swann

Laguë

García

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Regional-scale tree die-off events driven by drought and warming and associated pests and pathogens have occurred recently on all forested continents and are projected to increase in frequency and extent with future warming. Within areas where tree mortality has occurred, ecological, hydrological and meteorological consequences are increasingly being documented. However, the potential for tree die-off to impact vegetation processes and related carbon dynamics in areas remote to where die-off occurs has rarely been systematically evaluated, particularly for multiple distinct regions within a given continent. Such remote impacts can occur when climate effects of local vegetation change are propagated by atmospheric circulation-the phenomena of 'ecoclimate teleconnections'. We simulated tree die-off events in the 13 most densely forested US regions (selected from the 20 US National Ecological Observatory Network [NEON] domains) and found that tree die-off even for smaller regions has potential to affect climate and hence Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) in disparate regions (NEON domains), either positively or negatively. Some regions exhibited strong teleconnections to several others, and some regions were relatively sensitive to tree loss regardless of what other region the tree loss occurred in. For the US as a whole, loss of trees in the Pacific Southwest-an area undergoing rapid tree die-off-had the largest negative impact on remote US GPP whereas loss of trees in the Mid-Atlantic had the largest positive impact. This research lays a foundation for hypotheses that identify how the effects of tree die-off (or other types of tree loss such as deforestation) can ricochet across regions by revealing hot-spots of forcing and response. Such modes of connectivity have direct applicability for improving models of climate change impacts and for developing more informed and coordinated carbon accounting across regions.

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“…At the end of the previous millennium, the concept of offsetting was made known to the world through the Kyoto Protocol, its objectives being to reduce GHG emissions to mitigate and alleviate global climate crises (UNFCCC, 1997 [Author] options from which a business entity can purchase carbon credits -one such example forestry projects, which produce wood for fuel to replace fossil fuels and energy-intensive materials, as well as generate trees that absorb carbon dioxide (van der Gaast, Sikkema, & Vohrer, 2016).…”

Section: Case Studies 1 Carbon Credits -Mitigating Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Debris Mitigation – Plastic Neutrality through a Credit System in Southeast Asia

Lee¹

2021

Preprint

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12: Responsible consumption and production and 14: Life Below Water coincide in the targeting of the problem of plastic marine litter, which has been garnering immense media attention in the recent years. In the Bangkok Declaration of 2019, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) vowed to significantly reduce marine litter. Efforts to reduce unnecessary plastic consumption have been seen in social movements, corporate policies and most noticeably, in regulatory control in the form of bans for specific types of single-use plastic items. A paradox exists as, arguably, civilization cannot sustain its current developmental momentum without the use of plastics, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic demanding higher levels of hygiene. This is the argument that is seen coupled with mass bans of single-use plastics, including packaging material and personal protective equipment. Corporate engagement to manage the plastic value chain in ways that commit to the creation of circular economies is attaining popularity. While reduction and substitution are being considered, the status quo of the scale of the production of plastics is still expected for the next few years as life cycle assessments (LCA), test trials of consumer acceptance towards novel delivery mechanisms and other forms of innovation are emerging. The reduction of plastics in the private-sector is allegedly ongoing but intangible in Southeast Asia. While recovery and collection innovations are underway for application and picking up speed, an unfathomable rate of marine litter entering waterways is still aggravating the bigger-than-ever problem of plastic marine debris in Southeast Asia. Responsible production has long adopted the concept of credits. Carbon credits are the most notable one, while palm oil credits are also prominently purchased by manufacturers to offset any palm oil content that is not yet sourced from certified sustainable suppliers. The concept of credits for plastics has been proposed but remains much less explored than their counterparts for other commodities. “Plastic neutrality” in the form of credit purchasing by manufacturers could likely be the final missing piece of the puzzle picturing a circular economy. In theory, the credit system could serve as an offsetting mechanism to recover from nature an equivalent or higher amount of plastics to be produced by the credit-purchasing responsible manufacturer. This paper explores how plastic neutrality through Plastic Credits, similar to the existing carbon and sustainable palm oil credits, could be applied in Southeast Asia.

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The contribution of forest carbon credit projects to addressing the climate change challenge

Cited by 89 publications

References 5 publications

Carbon dynamics of river corridors and the effects of human alterations

Carbon dynamics of river corridors and the effects of human alterations

Continental-scale consequences of tree die-offs in North America: identifying where forest loss matters most

Marine Debris Mitigation – Plastic Neutrality through a Credit System in Southeast Asia

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