Forestry
and the
Kyoto Protocol
Key Issues
Joint ECE Timber Commmittee &
FAO European Forestry Commission 9.-13. 10.2000
Contents
• UNFCCC/GHG
• Carbon storage
• Kyoto Protocol & flexible mechanisms
• Open questions
• Role of FAO
UNFCCC 1992
• Concern: Global warming
• Cause: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Objective: Stabilization of GHG concentration
in atmosphere
What are GHG?
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Hydrofluor carbons
Perfluorcarbons
Sulphur hexafluoride
(CO2 )
(CH4 )
(N2O)
(HFCs)
(PFCs)
(SF6 )
C-Emission Sources USA 1990
Fuel Combustion 88 %
Industry
21%
Transport
31%
12% Small combustion
35% Energy production
Forestry practices to slow down
CO2 accumulation in atmosphere
Conservation
Storage
Substitution
Global carbon stocks
Oceans
Atmosphere
Soils
Vegetation
39 000 Gt
760 Gt
2 000 Gt
500 Gt
Forests as carbon stocks
Forests world-wide: 46% of terrestrial C
 Tropical forests:
37%
 Soils:
50%
Financial value of CDM sinks
(billion US$/a)
until 2020
until 2030
40–100 (Trexler)
up to 150 (World Bank)
Kyoto Protocol CoP 3
Kyoto, 12/1997
Objective:
Reduction of GHG by at least
5 % (level 1990)
in 2008-2012
Flexible mechanisms
Joint implementation
Clean development mechanism
Emission trading
CDM
• Assist dev. countries (Non-Annex 1)
• Annex I countries buy emission
reductions achieved elsewhere
 meet ind. emission
commitments
Conditions for flexible mechanisms
Voluntary
Additional
Baseline
No leakage
Open questions
Definitions
Accounting/methods
Activities to be included in CDM
Administration of sinks
Definitions
Forests & ARD
Degradation
Biological sources/sinks
Additionality
Leakage
Accounting and methods
• Baselines
• Standards
• C-balances
• Measuring and accounting
• Timeframe
Presently uncertain
Forests as sinks
Forest management
Impact of fires
Sinks in products (C-substitution)
Administration of sinks
Verification
M&E
Certification
Sanctions
Financing, responsibility
Linkages to other conventions
Synergies of Conventions
Biodiversity
(CBD)
Desertification (CCC)
Wetlands
(Ramsar)
IPCC- Special Report on Land use
Land use Change and Forestry
submitted at SBSTA 12 in June 2000
Role of FAO
• Repository of data
• Information and advice
• Custodian of methods, models
• Neutral forum
KP – Train is moving
 World Business Council
 GEF
 WB Prototype Carbon Fund
 Private initiatives