1
|
Davis EC, Sohngen B, Lewis DJ. The effect of carbon fertilization on naturally regenerated and planted US forests. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5490. [PMID: 36123337 PMCID: PMC9485135 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33196-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last half century in the United States, the per-hectare volume of wood in trees has increased, but it is not clear whether this increase has been driven by forest management, forest recovery from past land uses, such as agriculture, or other environmental factors such as elevated carbon dioxide, nitrogen deposition, or climate change. This paper uses empirical analysis to estimate the effect of elevated carbon dioxide on aboveground wood volume in temperate forests of the United States. To accomplish this, we employ matching techniques that allow us to disentangle the effects of elevated carbon dioxide from other environmental factors affecting wood volume and to estimate the effects separately for planted and natural stands. We show that elevated carbon dioxide has had a strong and consistently positive effect on wood volume while other environmental factors yielded a mix of both positive and negative effects. This study, by enabling a better understanding of how elevated carbon dioxide and other anthropogenic factors are influencing forest stocks, can help policymakers and other stakeholders better account for the role of forests in Nationally Determined Contributions and global mitigation pathways to achieve a 1.5 degree Celsius target. The CO2 fertilisation effect in forests remains controversial. Here, the authors disentangle the effect of CO2 on forest wood volume from other environmental factors, showing that elevated CO2 had a positive effect on wood volume in planted and natural US temperate forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Davis
- United States Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service, Kansas City, MO, 64105, USA.
| | - Brent Sohngen
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - David J Lewis
- Department of Applied Economics, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Daigneault A, Baker JS, Guo J, Lauri P, Favero A, Forsell N, Johnston C, Ohrel SB, Sohngen B. How the future of the global forest sink depends on timber demand, forest management, and carbon policies. Glob Environ Change 2022; 76:1-13. [PMID: 38024226 PMCID: PMC10631560 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Deforestation has contributed significantly to net greenhouse gas emissions, but slowing deforestation, regrowing forests and other ecosystem processes have made forests a net sink. Deforestation will still influence future carbon fluxes, but the role of forest growth through aging, management, and other silvicultural inputs on future carbon fluxes are critically important but not always recognized by bookkeeping and integrated assessment models. When projecting the future, it is vital to capture how management processes affect carbon storage in ecosystems and wood products. This study uses multiple global forest sector models to project forest carbon impacts across 81 shared socioeconomic (SSP) and climate mitigation pathway scenarios. We illustrate the importance of modeling management decisions in existing forests in response to changing demands for land resources, wood products and carbon. Although the models vary in key attributes, there is general agreement across a majority of scenarios that the global forest sector could remain a carbon sink in the future, sequestering 1.2-5.8 GtCO2e/yr over the next century. Carbon fluxes in the baseline scenarios that exclude climate mitigation policy ranged from -0.8 to 4.9 GtCO2e/yr, highlighting the strong influence of SSPs on forest sector model estimates. Improved forest management can jointly increase carbon stocks and harvests without expanding forest area, suggesting that carbon fluxes from managed forests systems deserve more careful consideration by the climate policy community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pekka Lauri
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria
| | | | - Nicklas Forsell
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Roe S, Streck C, Beach R, Busch J, Chapman M, Daioglou V, Deppermann A, Doelman J, Emmet‐Booth J, Engelmann J, Fricko O, Frischmann C, Funk J, Grassi G, Griscom B, Havlik P, Hanssen S, Humpenöder F, Landholm D, Lomax G, Lehmann J, Mesnildrey L, Nabuurs G, Popp A, Rivard C, Sanderman J, Sohngen B, Smith P, Stehfest E, Woolf D, Lawrence D. Land-based measures to mitigate climate change: Potential and feasibility by country. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:6025-6058. [PMID: 34636101 PMCID: PMC9293189 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Land-based climate mitigation measures have gained significant attention and importance in public and private sector climate policies. Building on previous studies, we refine and update the mitigation potentials for 20 land-based measures in >200 countries and five regions, comparing "bottom-up" sectoral estimates with integrated assessment models (IAMs). We also assess implementation feasibility at the country level. Cost-effective (available up to $100/tCO2 eq) land-based mitigation is 8-13.8 GtCO2 eq yr-1 between 2020 and 2050, with the bottom end of this range representing the IAM median and the upper end representing the sectoral estimate. The cost-effective sectoral estimate is about 40% of available technical potential and is in line with achieving a 1.5°C pathway in 2050. Compared to technical potentials, cost-effective estimates represent a more realistic and actionable target for policy. The cost-effective potential is approximately 50% from forests and other ecosystems, 35% from agriculture, and 15% from demand-side measures. The potential varies sixfold across the five regions assessed (0.75-4.8 GtCO2eq yr-1 ) and the top 15 countries account for about 60% of the global potential. Protection of forests and other ecosystems and demand-side measures present particularly high mitigation efficiency, high provision of co-benefits, and relatively lower costs. The feasibility assessment suggests that governance, economic investment, and socio-cultural conditions influence the likelihood that land-based mitigation potentials are realized. A substantial portion of potential (80%) is in developing countries and LDCs, where feasibility barriers are of greatest concern. Assisting countries to overcome barriers may result in significant quantities of near-term, low-cost mitigation while locally achieving important climate adaptation and development benefits. Opportunities among countries vary widely depending on types of land-based measures available, their potential co-benefits and risks, and their feasibility. Enhanced investments and country-specific plans that accommodate this complexity are urgently needed to realize the large global potential from improved land stewardship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Roe
- Department of Environmental SciencesUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
- Climate FocusBerlinGermany
| | - Charlotte Streck
- Climate FocusBerlinGermany
- International PoliticsUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Robert Beach
- Environmental Engineering and Economics DivisionRTI InternationalResearch Triangle ParkNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jonah Busch
- Conservation InternationalArlingtonVirginiaUSA
| | - Melissa Chapman
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Vassilis Daioglou
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityUtrechtthe Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyThe Haguethe Netherlands
| | - Andre Deppermann
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)LaxenburgAustria
| | - Jonathan Doelman
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyThe Haguethe Netherlands
| | - Jeremy Emmet‐Booth
- New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research CentrePalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Jens Engelmann
- Department of Agricultural and Applied EconomicsUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Oliver Fricko
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)LaxenburgAustria
| | | | - Jason Funk
- Land Use and Climate Knowledge InitiativeChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | | | | | - Petr Havlik
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)LaxenburgAustria
| | - Steef Hanssen
- Department of Environmental ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Florian Humpenöder
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz AssociationPotsdamGermany
| | - David Landholm
- Climate FocusBerlinGermany
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz AssociationPotsdamGermany
| | - Guy Lomax
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Johannes Lehmann
- Soil and Crop ScienceSchool of Integrative Plant ScienceCollege of Agriculture and Life ScienceCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Leah Mesnildrey
- Climate FocusBerlinGermany
- Sciences Po ParisParis School of International Affairs (PSIA)ParisFrance
| | - Gert‐Jan Nabuurs
- Wageningen Environmental ResearchWageningen University and ResearchWageningenthe Netherlands
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Alexander Popp
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz AssociationPotsdamGermany
| | | | | | - Brent Sohngen
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development EconomicsOhio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Elke Stehfest
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyThe Haguethe Netherlands
| | - Dominic Woolf
- Soil and Crop ScienceSchool of Integrative Plant ScienceCollege of Agriculture and Life ScienceCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Deborah Lawrence
- Department of Environmental SciencesUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Favero A, Daigneault A, Sohngen B. Forests: Carbon sequestration, biomass energy, or both? Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaay6792. [PMID: 32232153 PMCID: PMC7096156 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay6792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
There is a continuing debate over the role that woody bioenergy plays in climate mitigation. This paper clarifies this controversy and illustrates the impacts of woody biomass demand on forest harvests, prices, timber management investments and intensity, forest area, and the resulting carbon balance under different climate mitigation policies. Increased bioenergy demand increases forest carbon stocks thanks to afforestation activities and more intensive management relative to a no-bioenergy case. Some natural forests, however, are converted to more intensive management, with potential biodiversity losses. Incentivizing both wood-based bioenergy and forest sequestration could increase carbon sequestration and conserve natural forests simultaneously. We conclude that the expanded use of wood for bioenergy will result in net carbon benefits, but an efficient policy also needs to regulate forest carbon sequestration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Favero
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sohngen B, Salem ME, Baker JS, Shell MJ, Kim SJ. The Influence of Parametric Uncertainty on Projections of Forest Land Use, Carbon, and Markets. J For Econ 2019; 34:129-158. [PMID: 32461715 PMCID: PMC7252575 DOI: 10.1561/112.00000445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This paper uses Monte Carlo methods and regression analysis to assess the role of uncertainty in yield function and land supply elasticity parameters on land use, carbon, and market outcomes in a long-term dynamic model of the global forest sector. The results suggest that parametric uncertainty has little influence on projected future timber prices and global output, but it does have important implications for regional projections of outputs. A wide range of outcomes are possible for timber outputs, depending on growth and elasticity parameters. Timber output in the U.S., for instance, could change by -67 to +98 million m3 per year by 2060. Despite uncertainty in the parameters, our analysis suggests that the temperate zone may sequester +30 to +79 Pg C by 2060 and +58 to +114 Pg C by 2090 while the tropics are projected to store -35 to +70 Pg C and -33 to +73 Pg C for the same time periods, respectively. Attributional analysis shows that uncertainty in the parameters regulating forest growth has a more important impact on projections of future carbon storage than uncertainty in the land supply elasticity parameters. Moreover, the results suggest that understanding growth parameters in regions with large current carbon stocks is most important for making future projections of carbon storage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brent Sohngen
- Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, 322 Ag. Admin Building, 2120 Fyffe Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Marwa E Salem
- RTI International, P.O. Box 12194, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Durham NC 27709, United States
| | - Justin S Baker
- RTI International, P.O. Box 12194, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Durham NC 27709, United States
| | - Michael J Shell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Sei Jin Kim
- Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, 322 Ag. Admin Building, 2120 Fyffe Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kim SJ, Sohngen B, Sam AG. The implications of weather, nutrient prices, and other factors on nutrient concentrations in agricultural watersheds. Sci Total Environ 2019; 650:1083-1100. [PMID: 30308797 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines how nutrient prices, weather, and other factors influenced P outputs in agricultural watersheds using a detailed daily dataset of water quality observations over a 40-year period. Because policies have focused differentially on soluble P through federal permitting programs for point sources and sediments through federal subsidies for conservation, we examine sediment, particulate P and soluble P separately. A novel element of this study is the inclusion of farm fertilizer and output (i.e., corn) prices, which affect agricultural sources of P in these watersheds. We do not find that sediment concentrations are influenced by P prices, but sediment has trended downward, and is seasonally lower in all months except February and March in the Maumee. In contrast, we find that soluble P concentrations are heavily influenced by P prices. They trended downward through 1995, but upwards since. While concerns about fall and winter P application have emerged, we do not find evidence that the distribution of soluble P concentrations shifted towards winter over time. Weather accounts for about 50% of the higher soluble P loadings in 1996-2011, but higher P prices in 2005-2011 lowered P concentrations relative to what they would have been. Other factors account for the remaining 50% of the increase in soluble P concentrations in 1996-2011.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sei Jin Kim
- AED Economics, Ohio State University, United States of America.
| | - Brent Sohngen
- AED Economics, Ohio State University, 322 Agr. Admin. Bldg., 2120 Fyffe Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America.
| | - Abdoul G Sam
- AED Economics, Ohio State University, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
This paper develops structural dynamic methods to project future carbon fluxes in forests. These methods account for land management changes on both the intensive and extensive margins, both of which are critical components of future carbon fluxes. When implemented, the model suggests that U.S. forests remain a carbon sink through most of the coming century, sequestering 128 Tg C y-1. Constraining forestland to its current boundaries and constraining management to current levels reduce average sequestration by 25 to 28 Tg C y-1. An increase in demand leads to increased management and greater sequestration in forests. The results are robust to climate change. (JEL Q23, Q54).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Justin Baker
- RTI International, Center for Environmental, Technology, and Energy Economics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Sara Ohrel
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Steinman AD, Cardinale BJ, Munns WR, Ogdahl ME, Allan JD, Angadi T, Bartlett S, Brauman K, Byappanahalli M, Doss M, Dupont D, Johns A, Kashian D, Lupi F, McIntyre P, Miller T, Moore M, Muenich RL, Poudel R, Price J, Provencher B, Rea A, Read J, Renzetti S, Sohngen B, Washburn E. Ecosystem services in the Great Lakes. J Great Lakes Res 2017; 43:161-168. [PMID: 30034084 PMCID: PMC6052456 DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive inventory of ecosystem services across the entire Great Lakes basin is currently lacking and is needed to make informed management decisions. A greater appreciation and understanding of ecosystem services, including both use and non-use services, may have avoided misguided resource management decisions in the past that have resulted in legacies inherited by future generations. Given the interest in ecosystem services and lack of a coherent approach to addressing this topic in the Great Lakes, a summit was convened involving 28 experts working on various aspects of ecosystem services in the Great Lakes. The invited attendees spanned a variety of social and natural sciences. Given the unique status of the Great Lakes as the world's largest collective repository of surface freshwater, and the numerous stressors threatening this valuable resource, timing was propitious to examine ecosystem services. Several themes and recommendations emerged from the summit. There was general consensus that 1) a comprehensive inventory of ecosystem services throughout the Great Lakes is a desirable goal but would require considerable resources; 2) more spatially and temporally intensive data are needed to overcome our data gaps, but the arrangement of data networks and observatories must be well-coordinated; 3) trade-offs must be considered as part of ecosystem services analyses; and 4) formation of a Great Lakes Institute for Ecosystem Services, to provide a hub for research, meetings, and training is desirable. Several challenges also emerged during the summit, which are discussed in the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan D. Steinman
- Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, Muskegon, MI 49441, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Bradley J. Cardinale
- Cooperative Institute of Limnology and Ecosystems Research and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wayne R. Munns
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Mary E. Ogdahl
- Cooperative Institute of Limnology and Ecosystems Research and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - J. David Allan
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ted Angadi
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Sarah Bartlett
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kate Brauman
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | | | - Matt Doss
- Great Lakes Commission, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
| | - Diane Dupont
- Department of Economics, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Annie Johns
- Office of Response and Restoration, NOAA, Washington, DC 20230, USA
| | - Donna Kashian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Frank Lupi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Peter McIntyre
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Todd Miller
- School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Michael Moore
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Rajendra Poudel
- Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - James Price
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Technology Division, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Bill Provencher
- Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anne Rea
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer Read
- Graham Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
| | - Steven Renzetti
- Department of Economics, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Brent Sohngen
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. USA
| | - Erika Washburn
- Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, University of Wisconsin Extension, Superior, WI 54880, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
|
11
|
Abstract
There is widespread concern that biomass energy policy that promotes forests as a supply source will cause net carbon emissions. Most of the analyses that have been done to date, however, are biological, ignoring the effects of market adaptations through substitution, net imports, and timber investments. This paper uses a dynamic model of forest and land use management to estimate the impact of United States energy policies that emphasize the utilization of forest biomass on global timber production and carbon stocks over the next 50 years. We show that when market factors are included in the analysis, expanded demand for biomass energy increases timber prices and harvests, but reduces net global carbon emissions because higher wood prices lead to new investments in forest stocks. Estimates are sensitive to assumptions about whether harvest residues and new forestland can be used for biomass energy and the demand for biomass. Restricting biomass energy to being sourced only from roundwood on existing forestland can transform the policy from a net sink to a net source of emissions. These results illustrate the importance of capturing market adjustments and a large geographic scope when measuring the carbon implications of biomass energy policies.
Collapse
|
12
|
Mignone BK, Hurteau MD, Chen Y, Sohngen B. Carbon offsets, reversal risk and US climate policy. Carbon Balance Manag 2009; 4:3. [PMID: 19527489 PMCID: PMC2706241 DOI: 10.1186/1750-0680-4-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2009] [Accepted: 06/15/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One controversial issue in the larger cap-and-trade debate is the proper use and certification of carbon offsets related to changes in land management. Advocates of an expanded offset supply claim that inclusion of such activities would expand the scope of the program and lower overall compliance costs, while opponents claim that it would weaken the environmental integrity of the program by crediting activities that yield either nonexistent or merely temporary carbon sequestration benefits. Our study starts from the premise that offsets are neither perfect mitigation instruments nor useless "hot air." RESULTS We show that offsets provide a useful cost containment function, even when there is some threat of reversal, by injecting additional "when-flexibility" into the system. This allows market participants to shift their reduction requirements to periods of lower cost, thereby facilitating attainment of the least-cost time path without jeopardizing the cumulative environmental integrity of the system. By accounting for market conditions in conjunction with reversal risk, we develop a simple offset valuation methodology, taking into account the two most important factors that typically lead offsets to be overvalued or undervalued. CONCLUSION The result of this paper is a quantitative "model rule" that could be included in future legislation or used as a basis for active management by a future "carbon fed" or other regulatory authority with jurisdiction over the US carbon market to actively manage allowance prices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan K Mignone
- The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
- Center for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Matthew D Hurteau
- Western Regional Center of the National Institute for Climatic Change Research, Northern Arizona University, Box 6077, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Yihsu Chen
- School of Engineering, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Brent Sohngen
- Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, 2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1067, USA
- Resources for the Future, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
|
14
|
Kindermann G, Obersteiner M, Sohngen B, Sathaye J, Andrasko K, Rametsteiner E, Schlamadinger B, Wunder S, Beach R. Global cost estimates of reducing carbon emissions through avoided deforestation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:10302-10307. [PMID: 18650377 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2006.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical deforestation is estimated to cause about one-quarter of anthropogenic carbon emissions, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental services. United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change talks are now considering mechanisms for avoiding deforestation (AD), but the economic potential of AD has yet to be addressed. We use three economic models of global land use and management to analyze the potential contribution of AD activities to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. AD activities are found to be a competitive, low-cost abatement option. A program providing a 10% reduction in deforestation from 2005 to 2030 could provide 0.3-0.6 Gt (1 Gt = 1 x 10(5) g) CO(2).yr(-1) in emission reductions and would require $0.4 billion to $1.7 billion.yr(-1) for 30 years. A 50% reduction in deforestation from 2005 to 2030 could provide 1.5-2.7 Gt CO(2).yr(-1) in emission reductions and would require $17.2 billion to $28.0 billion.yr(-1). Finally, some caveats to the analysis that could increase costs of AD programs are described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Kindermann
- International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Tropical deforestation is a significant contributor to accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. GHG emissions from deforestation in the tropics were in the range of 1 to 2 Pg C yr(-1) for the 1990s, which is equivalent to as much as 25% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. While there is growing interest in providing incentives to avoid deforestation and consequently reduce net carbon emissions, there is limited information available on the potential costs of these activities. This paper uses a global forestry and land use model to analyze the potential marginal costs of reducing net carbon emissions by avoiding deforestation in tropical countries. Our estimates suggest that about 0.1 Pg C yr(-1) of emissions reductions could be obtained over the next 30 to 50 yr for $5 per Mg C, and about 1.6 Pg C yr(-1) could be obtained over the same time frame for $100 per Mg C. In addition, the effects of carbon incentives on land use could be substantial. Relative to projected baseline conditions, we find that there would be around 3 million additional hectares (ha) of forestland in 2055 at $5 per Mg C and 422 million ha at $100 per Mg C. Estimates of reductions in area deforested, GHG mitigation potential, and annual land rental payments required are presented, all of which vary by region, carbon price paid, and time frame of mitigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brent Sohngen
- Dep. of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State Univ., 2120 Fyffe Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|