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Using forests for climate mitigation: sequester carbon or produce woody biomass?

Author

Listed:
  • Alice Favero

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

  • Robert Mendelsohn

    (Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies)

  • Brent Sohngen

    (Ohio State University)

Abstract

Forests can mitigate greenhouse gases by storing carbon (SEQU) and supplying woody biomass for burning in power plants with CCS (WBCCS). The paper uses GTM to understand the global dynamics of forests and WITCH to determine the most cost-effective mitigation methods to limit long-term radiative forcing. The analysis finds that both SEQU and WBCCS are effective but the most effective choice is to use them together. WBCCS + SEQU accounts for 23–28% of all mitigation. SEQU initially dominates while carbon prices are low while WBCCS becomes more important later with especially high carbon prices. Forest mitigation encourages land use to shift towards forests, increasing natural forests and especially managed forests. SEQU leads to larger trees and more natural forestland and WBCCS leads to faster growing trees and more managed stands.

Suggested Citation

  • Alice Favero & Robert Mendelsohn & Brent Sohngen, 2017. "Using forests for climate mitigation: sequester carbon or produce woody biomass?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 195-206, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:144:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10584-017-2034-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-017-2034-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Valentina Bosetti & Carlo Carraro & Marzio Galeotti & Emanuele Massetti & Massimo Tavoni, 2006. "WITCH. A World Induced Technical Change Hybrid Model," Working Papers 2006_46, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
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    Cited by:

    1. Baker, J.S. & Wade, C.M. & Sohngen, B.L. & Ohrel, S. & Fawcett, A.A., 2019. "Potential complementarity between forest carbon sequestration incentives and biomass energy expansion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 391-401.
    2. Yongyang Cai, 2020. "The Role of Uncertainty in Controlling Climate Change," Papers 2003.01615, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2020.
    3. Tommi Ekholm, 2019. "Optimal forest rotation under carbon pricing and forest damage risk," Papers 1912.00269, arXiv.org.
    4. Eriksson, Mathilda, 2020. "Afforestation and avoided deforestation in a multi-regional integrated assessment model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Kim, Sei Jin & Baker, Justin S. & Sohngen, Brent L. & Shell, Michael, 2018. "Cumulative global forest carbon implications of regional bioenergy expansion policies," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 198-219.
    6. Ekholm, Tommi, 2020. "Optimal forest rotation under carbon pricing and forest damage risk," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Miguel Riviere & Sylvain Caurla, 2020. "Representations of the Forest Sector in Economic Models [Les représentations du secteur forestier dans les modèles économiques]," Post-Print hal-03088084, HAL.
    8. Chelsea Batavia & Michael Paul Nelson, 2018. "Translating climate change policy into forest management practice in a multiple-use context: the role of ethics," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 81-94, May.
    9. Sohngen, Brent & Favero, Alice & Jin, Yufang & Huang, Yuhan, 2018. "Global cost estimates of forest climate mitigation with albedo: A new policy approach," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274307, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Zhao, Jianheng & Daigneault, Adam & Weiskittel, Aaron & Wei, Xinyuan, 2023. "Climate and socioeconomic impacts on Maine's forests under alternative future pathways," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    11. Daigneault, Adam & Favero, Alice, 2021. "Global forest management, carbon sequestration and bioenergy supply under alternative shared socioeconomic pathways," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    12. Steffen Fahr & Julian Powell & Alice Favero & Anthony J. Giarrusso & Ryan P. Lively & Matthew J. Realff, 2022. "Assessing the physical potential capacity of direct air capture with integrated supply of low‐carbon energy sources," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 12(1), pages 170-188, February.
    13. Creutzburg, Leonard & Lieberherr, Eva, 2021. "To log or not to log? Actor preferences and networks in Swiss forest policy," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    14. Eriksson, Mathilda & Brännlund, Runar & Lundgren, Tommy, 2018. "Pricing forest carbon: Implications of asymmetry in climate policy," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 84-93.
    15. Hyeyeong Choe & James H. Thorne, 2019. "Climate exposure of East Asian temperate forests suggests transboundary climate adaptation strategies are needed," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 51-67, September.
    16. Jérôme Hilaire & Jan C. Minx & Max W. Callaghan & Jae Edmonds & Gunnar Luderer & Gregory F. Nemet & Joeri Rogelj & Maria Mar Zamora, 2019. "Negative emissions and international climate goals—learning from and about mitigation scenarios," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 189-219, November.

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