Kirschbaum, M.U.F., Schlamadinger, B., Cannell,
M.G.R., Hamburg, S.P., Karjalainen, T., Kurz, W.A., Prisley, S., Schulze,
E.-D., and Singh, T.P. (2001). A generalised approach of accounting for
biospheric carbon stock changes under the Kyoto Protocol. Environmental
Science and Policy 4: 73-85.
Abstract.
The Kyoto Protocol
aims to reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by various
measures including through management of the biosphere. However, the wording
that has been adopted may be difficult and costly to implement, and may
ultimately make it impossible to cost-effectively include biosphere management
to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.
An
alternative scheme is proposed here, especially for the second and subsequent
commitment periods, to more effectively deal with the anthropogenic component
of carbon stock changes in the biosphere. It would categorise the terrestrial
biosphere into different land-use types, with each one having a characteristic
average carbon density determined by land-use and environmental factors. Each
transition from one land-use type to another, or a change in average carbon
density within a specified type due to changed management would be defined as
anthropogenic and credited or debited to the responsible nation. To calculate
annual credits and/ or debits, the change in average carbon stocks must be
divided by a time constant which would either be a characteristic of each
possible land-use conversion, or applicable to the sum of changes to a nation’s
biospheric carbon stocks.
We believe
that this scheme would be simpler and less expensive to implement than one
based on the measurement of actual carbon changes from all specified areas of
land. It would also avoid undue credits or debits, because they would only
accrue as a result of identified anthropogenic components of biospheric carbon
changes whereas carbon fluxes that are due to natural variation would not be
credited or debited.
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