Carbon Footprints » REDD

Taking a 'Systems Approach' to forest carbon accounting methodology could reduce annual emissions by up to 5%

Dave Sag — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:22:07 +0000

Following on from my last post, Carbon Planet has made its own formal announcement of the VCSA approval of its IFM LtPF forestry carbon accounting methodology. The announcement goes into considerable detail about some of the specifics. What I am impressed by is that the methodology takes a ’systems view’ approach, and as a result is a far more comprehensive forest carbon accounting methodology than has ever previously been developed in this sector.

”The methodology is the only IFM-LtPF methodology that calculates the impact of logging operations on greenhouse gas emissions in addition to the forest degradation itself,” said Dr Williams. “The methodology also includes calculations for the greenhouse gas impact of the forest conservation project itself, in the form of emissions from project implementation and monitoring.”

Carbon Planet’s methodology adopts a systems approach to assess the physical, biological, and biochemical processes that occur during timber harvesting. This is a significantly more comprehensive approach than the alternative “carbon stock change” method because, in addition to the forest degradation due to the removal of harvested trees, emissions due to damage to the non-harvested trees surrounding the harvested trees (“residual stand damage”) are also accounted for.

“Ultimately, for the people who own the forest, the more complete the methodology, the more accurate the calculations, and the more carbon credits can be issued.” Dr Williams said.

My sincere hope is that our IFM LtPF methodology is used far-and-wide to underpin a wholesale change in the way forest products are priced and to underpin massive reductions in annual deforestation rates. Certainly, looking at our own pipeline of projects that have been in development for years now but awaiting the methodology’s approval, and knowing how many other REDD project developers there are out there who have also been waiting for the approval of a methodology such as ours, it ought to unlock literally billions of tonnes of GHG emissions reduction per year.

Consider some back-of-the-envelope numbers:


The world emits roughly 60 billion excess tonnes of CO₂e per annum.
Deforestation (much of which is sanctioned logging) accounts for roughly 20% of that, ie 12 billion tonnes CO₂e.
 If you assume that, of that, sanctioned logging makes up half of that, and half of those forests are tropical (very low-ball estimates,) that's a possible 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions reduction per year that could in theory be attributed to projects based on this methodology,or around 5% of the world's total annual emissions.

It’s enough to offset all the concrete production in the world, or all the world’s international shipping, or the whole airline industry (and then some).

To be responsible for 5% of the world’s emissions was one of the goals we set ourselves when Carbon Planet got started. It was a big hairy audacious goal indeed when we agreed on it. But now, years later, we’ve developed technologies like our first approved forest carbon accounting methodology, and our awesome G3MS carbon accounting system, which is being used by accountants, and emissions management consultants to develop emissions reduction strategies for large and small businesses, and our Operation: Coolenation junior climate science education programme having won awards and being adopted by primary schools, meaning that, for future-kids the science behind global warming will be utterly uncontroversial.

What’s exciting is I can see this goal actually being achievable.

Technorati Tags: carbon, carbon accounting, carbon credits, carbon emissions, forest carbon, forests, hope, methodology, optimism, REDD, trees, VCS, VCSA, VCU

VCSA Approves Carbon Planet's Methodology

Dave Sag — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:36:13 +0000

Carbon Planet is very excited to announce that the VCSA has approved our carbon accounting methodology for estimating the GHG reductions that come with transitioning a logged forest to a protected forest.

Why is this important?

Deforestation and land degradation contributes close to ¹/₅th of the world’s excess greenhouse gas emissions. Under business-as-usual the world loses a massive amount of tropical rainforest in particular every year. There are many drivers of deforestation but overwhelmingly the main driver is poverty and subsistence forest-resource dependance. Forest peoples of the world tend to be poor, tend to be exploited, and tend to earn money by ripping up their forests. REDD projects propose a mechanism, currently being run under the auspices of the VCSA, to pay forest peoples to maintain their forests using revenues derived from the sale of carbon credits called VCUs, rather than log them for short-term profits.

Until now there has been no accurate and approved way to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions reductions that come with taking a forest that is being logged, and turning it into a protected forest; a major stumbling block to project developers everywhere. Without an approved methodology there can be no project, and thus no VCUs and thus no money.

Carbon Planet’s methodology, (See The VCSA for more info,) was developed over a three year period and was designed to be highly flexible in terms of forest types, and yet highly accurate, and presented in a clear and informative manner. It clears a massive hurdle that the forest carbon market has been facing, and we fully expect to see an increasing number of quality forest carbon projects start formal development.

In its official announcement of Carbon Planet’s ‘IFM LtPF’ methodology, the VCSA makes the point:

“This offers a flexible new approach for financing projects that reduce logging in forested areas,” said VCS CEO David Antonioli. “Using carbon finance as an alternative source of income provides an important incentive for more sustainable forest management practices.”

I believe it is no idle boast to suggest that the launch of Carbon Planet’s methodology marks a great day for the forests, and forest peoples of the world.

Finally, my heartfelt and personal thanks go out to Carbon Planet’s scientific team, present and past, who have laboured so hard, under at times highly adverse conditions, to get this work done. It’s been a hard road, cutting new ground (probably the wrong metaphor I know), and experiencing first hand the trials and tribulations of forest carbon project development, and you’ve pulled through it all with a fine piece of work. Well done all of you. You have a right to feel proud of this achievement. — DS

Technorati Tags: carbon, carbon credit, climate, Climate Change, deforestation, forest carbon, forests, IFM, IFM LtPF, methodology, REDD, VCS, VCSA, VCU, VM0011

A Short History of REDD Policy

Dave Sag — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:46:24 +0000

Late last year Carbon Planet published a couple of White Papers on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. One of those papers gave an overview of the history of REDD policy to date. The video above summarises that into a short timeline for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy — DS

Technorati Tags: carbon, climate, Climate Change, COP15, Copenhagen, forests, Kyoto, REDD, video policy

The Burning Season starts Tonight

Dave Sag — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:44:13 +0000

There is a special parliamentary screening of the cinematic release of the film The Burning Season at Parliament House in Sydney tonight. The film’s narrator, Hugh Jackman, will be there apparently. I’ll be there too, happy to share what I know about the technicalities of REDD projects and filmmakers Cathy Henkel and Trish Lake will be there to formally respond to questions in a session after the film.

The Burning Season is a documentary about Dorjee Sun, a young entrepreneur who believes there’s money to be made from saving rainforests in Indonesia and making a real impact on climate change. Armed with a laptop and a backpack, he sets out across the globe to find investors in his scheme. Meanwhile another burning season gets underway. A small-scale farmer wrestles with the dilemma of clearing his land. In Borneo, a wildlife carer battles overcrowding and despair as more orangutans are rescued from the fires. This is the story of a young man not afraid to single-handedly confront the biggest challenge of our time. His determination to succeed and his award-winning achievement will uplift and entertain audiences and inspire hope in our future.

Paying people for the environmental services provided by their forests is probably going to be the single biggest change to money flows around the world we’ve seen in a long time. For many years money has flowed to those people lucky enough to be born on top of oil, or gas, or gold; and tough enough to be able to take advantage of that good fortune. It’s not always flowed fairly and the needs of the people have often taken a back seat to the wants of fat-cats, middle-men and officials.

One of the huge challenges for REDD projects is making sure, with the benefit of hindsight, we design financial distribution systems that ensure the people get the money they deserve. The journey Dorjee Sun and others are on is a long, complicated and often treacherous one. There are many forces who’d love nothing more than to see REDD projects fall at the first hurdle. But if the world is to address dangerous climate change, and put its best foot forwards with respect to global poverty, saving the world’s forests, and teaching people that there are other, better, more sustainable ways to extract revenues from their forests. Deforestation represents over 17% of the world’s excess greenhouse gas emissions. Forest people are some of the poorest, and most likely to be affected early by climate change. Common sense and natural justice come together here with economic pragmatism. REDD projects will succeed, despite a vocal lobby of nay-sayers. — DS

Technorati Tags: Climate Change, Dorjee Sun, forests, Indonesia, REDD, The Burning Season

Misunderstanding the Value of Forest Carbon

Dave Sag — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:28:44 +0000

I love Greenpeace and donate regularly but sometimes they come out with some terrible ideas and today’s is a doozy. Business eZine FastCompany is reporting that “Forest Credits Could Crash The Price of Carbon, Greenpeace Says“. They of course neglect to explain that, even if it were true, and I doubt it, lower cost abatement is a good thing!

Deforestation is responsible for up to 20% of all carbon emissions, so stopping it would seem to be a pretty effective way to halt global warming, as I chronicled last year. But there are too many forests worldwide, and the oversight and regulation in the tropical, less developed countries where they are located is generally too weak to allow robust verification of reforestation or preservation projects, according to Greenpeace. Polluting countries could meet their targets by buying cheap, dubious forest offsets, instead of investing in clean-energy projects stateside, delaying the hard work required to truly halt global warming.

Do the folks at Greenpeace really think there are too many forests already? Are they on crack?

Preventing deforestation is the single easiest, cheapest and most effective means we have of immediate drastic permanent emissions reduction. Forestry protection, funded via carbon trading mechanisms such as REDD is only now emerging as a viable scheme. Writing this off, or putting it in the same basket as previous avoided doforestation projects is just throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Just to make it clear, REDD credits are not issued out of thin air. To create REDD credits you need to develop a methodology that the Voluntary Carbon Standard and the Carbon Community and Biodiviersity Alliance will be happy with, one that incorporates all of the complex land-tenure arrangements in host countries, ensures ethical and responsible funds distribution, insures buffers against leakage and loss, and bypasses many of the governance issues that plague forest nations. Carbon Planet has been working for years on this so I know what I am talking about here, in contrast the the writers of the Greenpeace paper who seem to be stuck in the 1800s.

Let’s keep this in mind too. The whole point of the carbon trading scheme is a fixed amount of emissions reduction at the lowest possible price. Complaining that REDD will collapse the price of carbon firstly underestimates the complexity of creating REDD credits, and secondly misses the whole point of emissions trading. The world does not have the luxury of waiting for new energy sources to be built, we have to cut emissions now as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Of course I am not advocating cesation of new energy projects, and indeed under the CDM and Gold Standard VER schemes emissions are being reduced via investments in new technology, and that’s a very good thing. But the fastest road to global emissions reduction is the preservation of what remains of the world’s forests; especially tropical rainforests.

Forests provide a wealth of environmental services that are currently disregarded by the world economy. Indigenous peoples work in virtual slavery for massive multinational corporations to tear up the very forests that have sustained their cultures and their very lives for generation upon generation. Logging camps are rats’ nests of sexual predation, forced labour and alarmingly low levels of occupational health and saftey. REDD projects promise to generate improved income levels for the people on the ground with money being distributed more fairly and, of course, those incomes are sustainable as the trees stay in place.

Some people criticise REDD as paying people to do nothing, calling REDD projects a kind of non-project. Once again that fails to appreciate just how complex proper REDD propjects can be and it fails to acknowledge that the environmental services provided by forests have a real value, and paying the traditional owners of those forsts to maintain the health and wellbeing of these valuable assest is just as valid as paying those people lucky enough to be born on top of an oil well; something we do every time we fill up the car with petrol.

No matter the eutopian visions promoted by groups such as Greenpeace, the fact is we’ll be burning coal and oil for some time yet. So, in the absence of a genuine ‘clean coal’ solution we need a way to reduce emissions quickly and immediately. REDD is the only technology that offers such a promise in the very short term. A tonne of CO₂ saved now is worth many tonnes in the future. This is a concept I call Net Present Environmental Value. REDD projects, with their spectum of benefits from social, biodiversity preservation, and carbon perspectives are unmatched in their economic efficiency. — DS

Technorati Tags: carbon, CO2, emissions reduction, emissions trading, forests, Greenpeace, REDD

The future of forests

Dave Sag — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:55:44 +0000

The Global Canopy Programme is covering the discussions in Bonn where the topic of avoiding deforestation is on the table. In a blog post called “Forests & the Future Climate Regime” they cite a speech by Johan Eliasch, the UK Prime Minister’s special representative on deforestation and clean energy, and Frances Seymour, Director-General of the Center for International Forestry Research, whose speech last month, “Forests in a future climate regime” argued that failure to curb deforestation will not only impact negatively on the global climate and on the health of the world’s forests, but will also have very negative effects for forest-dependent communities.

The Eliasch Review, published last year, showed that it would be possible to halve deforestation to 2030 at a cost of $17-33 billion per year, compared with the annual cost of $1 trillion by 2100 if deforestation is allowed to continue. Going beyond the Stern Review of 2006, the Eliasch Review came out strongly in favour of including emissions reductions from tackling deforestation (essentially, forest carbon ‘credits’) in international carbon trading markets such as the EU Emission Trading Scheme – over the long term.

Carbon Planet is passionate about REDD and has been working quietly on REDD projects for the last couple of years. See redd.carbonplanet.com for more details. — DS

Technorati Tags: Bonn, carbon, CIFOR, climate, Climate Change, CO2, Eliasch, forests, global warming, REDD, Seymour

Australia wants forest CO2 trade in Copenhagen pact

Dave Sag — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:35:06 +0000

Reuters is running a story “Australia wants forest CO₂ trade in Copenhagen pact” about a proposal Australia has submitted to U.N. climate negotiators that outlines a scheme to use carbon credits to protect rain forests.

“We think a post-2012 agreement will need to include forests in some way,” [Climate Change Minister] Wong told Reuters in an interview in New York after addressing U.N. diplomats at the International Peace Institute, a think tank devoted to peace and security.

“Currently too many developing nations have an economic imperative to cut down forests. What we need to put in place is a mechanism that means instead of an economic imperative to cut down forests, we have an economic imperative to protect them.”

The United Nations has backed a scheme called REDD, or reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation, in which developing nations such as Brazil and Indonesia could potentially earn billions of dollars from selling carbon credits in return for saving their forests.

Carbon Planet has been quietly working on REDD projects for almost two years now and is a world leader on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. There are real issues with measuring, monitoring and equitable income distribution but we believe these problems have real solutions. The world’s emissions reduction plans rely on the acceptance of REDD. To allow the world’s forests to keep burning is simply not an option. And that means creating proper economic incentives for people, many of whom are amongst the world’s poorest, to sustain their forests rather than allowing them to be destroyed. — DS

[UPDATE]. I found Penny Wong’s speech and the actual text of the proposal to the UN.

Technorati Tags: Australia, carbon, carbon credits, Climate Change, CO2, emissions trading, forests, Penny Wong, REDD, UN