Forestry and the Kyoto Protocol

Forestry and the

Kyoto Protocol

Joint ECE Timber Commmittee & FAO European Forestry Commission 9.-13. 10.2000

Key Issues

• UNFCCC/GHG

• Carbon storage

• Kyoto Protocol & flexible mechanisms

• Open questions

• Role of FAO

Contents

• Concern: Global warming

• Cause: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

• Objective: Stabilization of GHG concentration

in atmosphere

UNFCCC 1992

Carbon Dioxide (CO2

)Methane

(CH4 )

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Hydrofluor carbons (HFCs)

Perfluorcarbons (PFCs)

Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6 )

What are GHG?

35% Energy35% Energy productionTransport 31%

Industry 21%12% Small combustion

C-Emission Sources USA 1990Fuel Combustion 88 %

Forestry practices to slow down CO2 accumulation in atmosphere

Conservation

Storage

Substitution

Global carbon stocks

Oceans 39 000 Gt

Atmosphere 760 GtSoils 2 000 Gt

Vegetation 500 Gt

Forests as carbon stocks

Forests world-wide: 46% of terrestrial C

Tropical forests: 37%

Soils: 50%

Financial value of CDM sinks (billion US$/a)

until 2020 40–100 (Trexler)until 2030 up to 150 (World Bank)

Kyoto Protocol CoP 3 Kyoto, 12/1997

Objective:

Reduction of GHG by at least 5 % (level 1990)

in 2008-2012

Flexible mechanisms

Emission trading

Joint implementation

Clean development mechanism

CDM• Assist dev. countries (Non-Annex 1)

• Annex I countries buy emission reductions achieved elsewhere

meet ind. emission commitments

Conditions for flexible mechanisms

No leakage

Baseline

Additional

Voluntary

Open questions

DefinitionsAccounting/methods

Activities to be included in CDM

Administration of sinks

Definitions

Forests & ARDDegradation

Biological sources/sinksAdditionality

Leakage

Accounting and methods

• Baselines• Standards• C-balances• Measuring and accounting

• Timeframe

Presently uncertain

Forests as sinks

Forest management

Impact of fires

Sinks in products (C-substitution)

Administration of sinks

Verification Certification

M & E Sanctions

Financing, responsibilityLinkages to other conventions

Synergies of Conventions

Biodiversity (CBD)

Desertification (CCC) Wetlands (Ramsar)

IPCC- Special Report on Land use

Land use Change and Forestry

submitted at SBSTA 12 in June 2000

Role of FAORole of FAO

• Repository of data

• Information and advice• Information and advice

• Custodian of methods, models • Custodian of methods, models

• Neutral forum• Neutral forum

KP – Train is moving

World Business Council GEF WB Prototype Carbon Fund Private initiatives