Contribution of new forests to the carbon balance and wider - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Robert Matthews Forest Research Alice Holt Research Station Farnham GU10 4LH UNITED KINGDOM robert.matthews@forestresearch.gov.uk

Contribution of new forests to the carbon balance and wider ecosystem services

EFI Annual Conference Aberdeen 19th September 2019

2

23/09/2019

What and in what ways?

Different sectors Different impacts Holistic approach needed! Other land uses

3

23/09/2019

How much and when?

• 20
• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10

Net GHG emissions increase/decrease (+/-) (tCO2-eq ha-1 yr-1)

“Savings” “Emissions” Forest machinery etc. Soil Trees Dead and litter Wood products Bioenergy Materials etc.

2030 2050 2100 “A multi-purpose forest stand in Scotland”

4

23/09/2019

• 20
• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10

Net GHG emissions increase/decrease (+/-) (tCO2-eq ha-1 yr-1)

• 20
• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10

Net GHG emissions increase/decrease (+/-) (tCO2-eq ha-1 yr-1)

• 20
• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10

Net GHG emissions increase/decrease (+/-) (tCO2-eq ha-1 yr-1)

• 20
• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10

Net GHG emissions increase/decrease (+/-) (tCO2-eq ha-1 yr-1)

As previous but “organic soil” “Industrial plantation” “Managed amenity birch” “Rewilding with birch” “The right forest in the right place”

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23/09/2019

Where and how (practice)?

Relative supply SRF Industrial Multi Amenity SRF Industrial Multi Amenity

• Guidance?
• Standard?
• Criteria
• Decision support?

Health Flood Divers. Water Materials/ fuel Sequest.

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23/09/2019

Where and how (policy)?

Create robust standards Forest carbon measurement protocols and tools Approved verification bodies to provide assurance Establish pilot woodland carbon projects Create a project registry

WCC frame- work

What is involved in a “holistic” approach?

• Targets
• Standards
• Public programmes
• Regulation
• Payments for actions/

services

• Trading systems.

Options for instruments

Environmental integrity

Some actual examples

• Planting targets
• Recycling targets
• Planting/management

grants

• Deforestation laws
• Bioenergy incentives
• Green construction and
• timber innovation

programme.

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23/09/2019

Watch out!

• Carbon sequestration is reversible/”lock-in”
• How to ensure wood products give GHG savings
• Joined-up sectoral policies (environmental integrity)
• Pay now to get (long-term) benefits eventually
• Environmental/social benefits difficult to monetise
• Carbon prices can be very volatile
• Who’s carbon is it anyway?
• Forests
• Wood products
• “Sting” in some LULUCF accounting rules
• Need “no regrets” action (risk management)
• “Mind your language” (terminology, definitions …)
• Beware simplistic arguments/positions
• Too big for sectoral interests.

ACT NOW

Thank you

Acknowledgements Louise Sing, Duncan Ray, Forest Research (graph on Slide 5)

Contribution of new forests to the carbon balance and wider ecosystem services

Robert Matthews Forest Research robert.matthews@forestresearch.gov.uk