IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i5p785-d98021.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does “Greening” of Neotropical Cities Considerably Mitigate Carbon Dioxide Emissions? The Case of Medellin, Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Carley C. Reynolds

    (Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Environment Hall, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA)

  • Francisco J. Escobedo

    (Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Cr. 24 No 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia)

  • Nicola Clerici

    (Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Cr. 24 No 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia)

  • Jorge Zea-Camaño

    (Programa de pós Graduação em Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Pref. Lothário Meissner, 632, CEP: 80210-170 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil)

Abstract

Cities throughout the world are advocating highly promoted tree plantings as a climate change mitigation measure. Assessing the carbon offsets associated with urban trees relative to other climate change policies is vital for sustainable development, planning, and solving environmental and socio-economic problems, but is difficult in developing countries. We estimated and assessed carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage, sequestration, and emission offsets by public trees in the Medellin Metropolitan Area, Colombia, as a viable Nature-Based Solution for the Neotropics. While previous studies have discussed nature-based solutions and explored urban tree carbon dynamics in high income countries, few have been conducted in tropical cities in low-middle income countries, particularly within South America. We used a public tree inventory for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and an available urban forest functional model, i-Tree Streets, calibrated for Colombia’s context. We found that CO 2 offsets from public trees were not as effective as cable cars or landfills. However, if available planting spaces are considered, carbon offsets become more competitive with cable cars and other air quality and socio-economic co-benefits are also provided. The use of carbon estimation models and the development of relevant carbon accounting protocols in Neotropical cities are also discussed. Our nature-based solution approach can be used to better guide management of urban forests to mitigate climate change and carbon offset accounting in tropical cities lacking available information.

Suggested Citation

  • Carley C. Reynolds & Francisco J. Escobedo & Nicola Clerici & Jorge Zea-Camaño, 2017. "Does “Greening” of Neotropical Cities Considerably Mitigate Carbon Dioxide Emissions? The Case of Medellin, Colombia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-16, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:5:p:785-:d:98021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/5/785/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/5/785/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helen Santiago Fink, 2016. "Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Yangang Xing & Phil Jones & Iain Donnison, 2017. "Characterisation of Nature-Based Solutions for the Built Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-20, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Babí Almenar, Javier & Elliot, Thomas & Rugani, Benedetto & Philippe, Bodénan & Navarrete Gutierrez, Tomas & Sonnemann, Guido & Geneletti, Davide, 2021. "Nexus between nature-based solutions, ecosystem services and urban challenges," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    2. Rafael Tordecilla-Madera & Andrés Polo & Adrián Cañón, 2018. "Vehicles Allocation for Fruit Distribution Considering CO 2 Emissions and Decisions on Subcontracting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-21, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chloé Duffaut & Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste & Pierre-Antoine Versini, 2022. "Barriers and Levers for the Implantation of Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions in Cities: Insights from France," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Lei Li & Ali Cheshmehzangi & Faith Ka Shun Chan & Christopher D. Ives, 2021. "Mapping the Research Landscape of Nature-Based Solutions in Urbanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-41, April.
    3. Taeuk Kim & Sunmi Yun, 2022. "Research Framework Built Natural-Based Solutions (NBSs) as Green Hotels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Daniel Mora-Melià & Carlos S. López-Aburto & Pablo Ballesteros-Pérez & Pedro Muñoz-Velasco, 2018. "Viability of Green Roofs as a Flood Mitigation Element in the Central Region of Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Mudoh Mbah & Anna Franz, 2021. "Revitalization and Branding of Rural Communities in Cameroon Using a Circular Approach for Sustainable Development—A Proposal for the Batibo Municipality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    6. Ana Reyes-Menendez & José Ramón Saura & Cesar Alvarez-Alonso, 2018. "Understanding #WorldEnvironmentDay User Opinions in Twitter: A Topic-Based Sentiment Analysis Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Pia Minixhofer & Rosemarie Stangl, 2021. "Green Infrastructures and the Consideration of Their Soil-Related Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas—A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Marie De Groeve & Eda Kale & Scott Allan Orr & Tim De Kock, 2023. "Preliminary Experimental Laboratory Methods to Analyse the Insulation Capacity of Vertical Greening on Temperature and Relative Humidity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-13, July.
    9. Israa H. Mahmoud & Eugenio Morello & Chiara Vona & Maria Benciolini & Iliriana Sejdullahu & Marina Trentin & Karmele Herranz Pascual, 2021. "Setting the Social Monitoring Framework for Nature-Based Solutions Impact: Methodological Approach and Pre-Greening Measurements in the Case Study from CLEVER Cities Milan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-28, August.
    10. Hanson, Helena I. & Wickenberg, Björn & Alkan Olsson, Johanna, 2020. "Working on the boundaries—How do science use and interpret the nature-based solution concept?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Miguel Amado & Evelina Rodrigues & Francesca Poggi & Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & António Ribeiro Amado & Helder José, 2020. "Using Different Levels of Information in Planning Green Infrastructure in Luanda, Angola," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-26, April.
    12. Marcelo Enrique Conti & Massimo Battaglia & Mario Calabrese & Cristina Simone, 2021. "Fostering Sustainable Cities through Resilience Thinking: The Role of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs): Lessons Learned from Two Italian Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-20, November.
    13. Martina Artmann & Katharina Sartison, 2018. "The Role of Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: A Review for Developing a Systemic Assessment Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-32, June.
    14. Joanna Wysmułek & Maria Hełdak & Anatolii Kucher, 2020. "The Analysis of Green Areas’ Accessibility in Comparison with Statistical Data in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Maliha Afroz Nitu & Ozgur Gocer & Niranjika Wijesooriya & Diksha Vijapur & Christhina Candido, 2022. "A Biophilic Design Approach for Improved Energy Performance in Retrofitting Residential Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, March.
    16. Kambo, Amrita & Drogemuller, Robin & Yarlagadda, Prasad K.D.V., 2019. "Assessing Biophilic Design Elements for ecosystem service attributes – A sub-tropical Australian case," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    17. Hai-Ying Liu & Marion Jay & Xianwen Chen, 2021. "The Role of Nature-Based Solutions for Improving Environmental Quality, Health and Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-56, October.
    18. Agata Cabanek & Maria Elena Zingoni de Baro & Joshua Byrne & Peter Newman, 2021. "Regenerating Stormwater Infrastructure into Biophilic Urban Assets. Case Studies of a Sump Garden and a Sump Park in Western Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, May.
    19. Rita Mendonça & Peter Roebeling & Teresa Fidélis & Miguel Saraiva, 2021. "Policy Instruments to Encourage the Adoption of Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Landscapes," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    20. Sjerp de Vries & Arjen E. Buijs & Robbert P. H. Snep, 2020. "Environmental Justice in The Netherlands: Presence and Quality of Greenspace Differ by Socioeconomic Status of Neighbourhoods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-17, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:5:p:785-:d:98021. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.