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Afforestation and the Kyoto Protocol
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Photo: Future afforestation site, NB |
How does afforestation help Canada under the Kyoto Protocol?
The Canadian Government has ratified the Kyoto Protocol (KP). The goal
of this is to reduce the rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission into the
global atmosphere by encouraging countries to decrease their greenhouse
gas emissions from fossil fuel use and increase their net uptake of carbon
(C) from the atmosphere in terrestrial systems (e.g., forests and agricultural
lands).
The KP sets targets for GHG emissions reductions relative to 1990, but allows flexibility in how they are reached. The KP recognizes the establishment of new forests on areas that have not recently or ever contained forests as one means by which countries can increase their net removals of GHGs. By taking up C from the atmosphere and storing it in wood fibre the net effect on the atmosphere is similar to reducing C emissions. Canada is currently designing a system that would allow managers of agriculture and forestry activities that sequester C to trade C credits to emitters of GHGs to offset their emissions
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Photo: One year old Norway Spruce plantation, ON |
The Kyoto Protocol and the recent Marrakesh Accords are specific about how C in forests must be accounted for, and how C credits are defined.
Large Final Emitters will have an opportunity to meet their targets through
the Domestic Emissions Trading System (DET). It is currently expected
that forest based carbon credits would be traded through the DET.
More information on carbon credits and the DET is available through the
links below.
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