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The Challenge of Mitigating Climate Change through Forestry Activities: What Are the Rules of the Game?

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  • van Kooten, G. Cornelis

Abstract

In this study, the price of carbon is used to incentivize a reduction in the release of CO2 emissions and an increase in sequestration of CO2 through forestry activities. Forest managers essentially have two options for increasing carbon sequestration (i.e., creating carbon offset credits): (1) avoid or delay harvest of mature timber; or (2) harvest timber and allow natural or artificial regeneration (with ‘regular’ or ‘seed-selected’ growing stock). A forest management model representative of the southern interior of British Columbia is described and used to examine forest conservation that prevents emissions of CO2, and even-flow and commercial harvesting where timber is processed into long-lived wood products that store carbon and residuals for energy. The objective of the model is to maximize net discounted returns to commercial timber operations plus the benefits of managing carbon fluxes. The model tracks carbon in living trees, organic matter, and post-harvest carbon pools. It also includes various parameters related to the weighting of future carbon flows, anticipated price of carbon, whether and to what extent use of biomass reduces fossil fuel emissions from generating electricity or production of non-wood construction materials, et cetera. The results demonstrate that the decision about which forestry activities generate carbon offset credits and how many is essentially a political and not a scientific one.

Suggested Citation

  • van Kooten, G. Cornelis, 2018. "The Challenge of Mitigating Climate Change through Forestry Activities: What Are the Rules of the Game?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 35-43.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:146:y:2018:i:c:p:35-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johnston, Craig M.T. & Cornelis van Kooten, G., 2015. "Back to the past: Burning wood to save the globe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 185-193.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. G. Cornelis van Kooten, 2018. "Can Carbon Offset Trading Promote Economic Development in Forest-Dependent and First Nations Communities?," Working Papers 2018-02, University of Victoria, Department of Economics, Resource Economics and Policy Analysis Research Group.
    2. Graves, Rose A. & Nielsen-Pincus, Max & Haugo, Ryan D. & Holz, Andrés, 2022. "Forest carbon incentive programs for non-industrial private forests in Oregon (USA): Impacts of program design on willingness to enroll and landscape-scale program outcomes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    3. Kooten, G. Cornelis Van, 2022. "The Impact of Carbon on Optimal Forest Rotation Ages: An Application to Coastal Forests in British Columbia," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322612, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. van Kooten, G. Cornelis & Nijnik, Maria & Bradford, Kimpton, 2019. "Can carbon accounting promote economic development in forest-dependent, indigenous communities?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 68-74.
    5. G. Cornelis van Kooten, 2020. "Climate Change and Agriculture," Working Papers 2020-01, University of Victoria, Department of Economics, Resource Economics and Policy Analysis Research Group.
    6. G. Cornelis van Kooten, 2023. "Determining optimal forest rotation ages and carbon offset credits: Accounting for post‐harvest carbon storehouses," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(2), pages 255-272, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate change mitigation; Forest carbon offsets; Carbon life-cycle analysis; Biomass energy; Wood products versus cement and steel;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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