Biological carbon sequestration and carbon trading re-visited

Biological activities that sequester carbon create CO₂ offset credits that could obviate the need for reductions in fossil fuel use. Credits are earned by storing carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and wood products, although CO₂ emissions are also mitigated by delaying deforestation, which accounts for one-quarter of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. However, non-permanent carbon offsets from biological activities are difficult to compare with each other and with emissions reduction because they differ in how long they prevent CO₂ from entering the atmosphere. This is the duration problem. It results in uncertainty and makes it hard to determine the legitimacy of biological activities in mitigating climate change. Measuring, verifying and monitoring the carbon sequestered in sinks greatly increases transaction costs and leads to rent seeking by sellers of dubious sink credits. While biological sink activities undoubtedly help mitigate climate change and should not be neglected, it is shown that there are limits to the substitutability between temporary offset credits from these activities and emissions reduction, and that this has implications for carbon trading. A possible solution to inherent incommensurability between temporary and permanent credits is also suggested.     

Delayed carbon sequestration and rising carbon prices

We set out a dynamic model to investigate optimal time paths of emissions, carbon stocks and carbon sequestration by land conversion, allowing for non-instantaneous carbon sequestration. Previous research in a dynamic general equilibrium framework, assuming instantaneous carbon sequestration, has shown that land conversion should take place as soon as possible. On the contrary, previous research within a partial equilibrium framework has shown that, with increasing carbon prices, it is optimal to delay carbon sequestration through land conversion. We show that land use change alternatives, e.g. reforestation, have to be used as soon as possible before the singular path is reached, i.e. the unique trajectory that brings the system to the steady-state. We also show that faster increasing carbon prices can induce a reduction in the rate of reforestation, and that this may take place after an initial phase of increased reforestations or even immediately, depending upon the shape of the increase in carbon prices. Finally, we show that the type of species used is relevant and that the land conversion rate gets smaller the longer it takes the trees to grow. We analyze four different carbon accounting methods, describing the conditions that make them efficient and discussing the comparative advantages of each of them.     

Characteristics of forest carbon credit transactions in the voluntary carbon market

The voluntary carbon market allows participants to go beyond regulatory carbon offsetting. Recent developments have improved the transparency and credibility of voluntary carbon trading, and forest carbon credit transactions constitute more than half of trade volume. Its workings, however, have not been sufficiently explored in the literature. This study analyses the characteristics of forest carbon credit transactions in the voluntary carbon market using frequency analysis and logistic regression analysis. The results reveal that the co-benefits of forest carbon projects are an important factor influencing carbon credit transactions. From the higher transaction ratio of credits from CCB Standards-labelled projects and projects using co-benefit-oriented standards, it can be inferred that credits with potential for co-benefits (e.g. fostered corporate social responsibility, social cohesion of local communities and voluntary leadership, and positive environmental impacts) are preferred to those focusing exclusively on emission reduction in the voluntary carbon market. The findings of this study suggest that developing co-benefits is important for strengthening the market competitiveness of forest carbon credits in the voluntary carbon market. Additionally, unlike the compliance carbon market, in the voluntary carbon market stringent carbon standards do not always guarantee credit transaction performance.

POLICY RELEVANCE

After UNFCCC COP-21, the global society agreed to acknowledge various forms of international carbon crediting mechanisms, and noted the significance of greenhouse gas emissions reduction for sustainable development and environmental integrity through the Paris Agreement. Moreover, the agreement encouraged both REDD+ activities in developing countries and supports from developed countries. Additionally, co-benefits of forest carbon projects are important for credit transaction in the global voluntary carbon market. Under the new climate regime, co-benefits of forest carbon projects are expected to gain attention in the carbon market. To promote the social, economic, and environmental co-benefits of forest carbon projects, the introduction of an objective co-benefit assessment and certification system should be reviewed at the national level.     

The carbon isotopic ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Tsukuba,Japan

To find out the secular and seasonal trends of the ¹³C value and CO₂ concentration in the surface air and the determination of the ¹³C in the atmospheric CO₂ collected at Tsukuba Science City was carried out during the period from July 1981 to October 1983. The monthly average of the ¹³C value of CO₂ in the surface air collected at 1400 LMT ranged from -7.52 to \s-8.45 with an average of -7.96±0.25 and the CO₂ concentration in the air varied from 334.5 l 1^-1 to 359 l 1^-1 with an average of 347.2±6.3 l 1^-1. The ¹³C value is high in summer and low in winter and is negatively correlated with the CO₂ concentration. In general, the relationship between the ¹³C and the CO₂ concentration is explainable by a simple mixing model of two different constant carbon isotopic species but the relationship does not always follow the model. The correlation between the ¹³C value and the CO₂ concentration is low during the plant growth season and high at other times. The observed negative deviation of the ¹³C value from the simple mixing model in the plant growth season is partly due to the isotopic fractionation process which takes place in the land biota.     

Atmospheric chemistry of carbon disulphide

The oxidation of carbon disulphide has been studied under conditions which are likely to pertain in the atmosphere. The quantum yield for direct photo-oxidation of CS₂ in air at 1 atm pressure, using near UV radiation was 0.012, with OCS as a major product. The rate coefficient (k ₁) for the reaction of OH with CS₂, was determined from measurements of OCS formation in the near UV photolysis of HONO?CS₂?O₂?N₂ mixtures. k ₁ was dependent on oxygen concentration rising from ≤4×10^-14 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 at O₂≤15 Torr to (2.0±1.0)×10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 at 1 atm air and 300 K. Equimolar amounts of carbonyl sulphide and sulphur dioxide were the major reaction products. The concentration of carbon disulphide in the ambient atmosphere was measured and the concentration to be expected in the background atmosphere was estimated. Rate and concentration data were used to show that carbon disulphide oxidation represents a major source for atmospheric carbonyl sulphide. It can also serve as an alternate source for atmospheric sulphur dioxide in addition to that produced from hydrogen sulphide and dimethyl sulphide. A consideration of atmospheric concentrations and rate data for these trace sulphur gases suggests that the natural sulphur budget is much smaller than the yearly amounts of sulphur dioxide emitted from anthropogenic sources.     

The effects of carbon cycle model error in calculating future atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

Empirical investigations have indicated that projections of future atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of a quality quite adequate for practical questions regarding the environmental threat of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and its relationship to energy use policy could be made with the simple assumption that a constant fraction of these emissions would be retained by the atmosphere. By analysis of the structural behavior of equations describing the transfer of carbon and carbon dioxide between their several reservoirs we have been able to demonstrate that this characteristic can be explained to result from approximately linear behavior and exponentially growing carbon dioxide release rates, combined with fitting of carbon cycle model parameters to the last twenty years of observed atmospheric carbon dioxide growth. These conclusions are independent of the details of carbon cycle model structure for projections up to 100 years into the future as long as the growth in atmospheric carbon dioxide release rates is sufficiently high, of the order of 1.5% per annum or more, as referenced to p re-industrial (steady state) conditions. At low rates of growth, when the longer response times of the carbon cycling system become important, for most energy use projections the resultant CO₂ induced climate changes are small and the uncertainties in predicted atmospheric carbon dioxide level are thus not important. A possible exception to this condition occurs for scenarios of future fossil fuel use rates designed to avoid atmospheric CO₂ levels exceeding a chosen threshold. In this instance details of carbon cycle model structure could significantly affect conclusions that might be drawn concerning future energy use policies; however, it is possible that such a result stems from inappropriate specification of a criterion for an environmental threat, rather than from inherent inadequacy of current carbon cycle models. Recent carbon cycle model developments postulate transfer processes of carbon into the deep ocean, large carbon storage reservoir at rates much higher than in the models we have analysed. If the existence of such mechanisms is confirmed, and they are found to be sufficiently rapid and large, some of our conclusions regarding the use of the constant fractional retention assumption may have to be modified. Currently at the Gas Research Institute, 8600 West Bryn, Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL 60631, U.S.A.     

Considering the influence of sequestration duration and carbon saturation on estimates of soil carbon capacity

Rates of soil C sequestration have previously been estimated for a number of different land management activities, and these estimates continue to improve as more data become available. The time over which active sequestration occurs may be referred to as the sequestration duration. Integrating soil C sequestration rates with durations provides estimates of potential change in soil C capacity and more accurate estimates of the potential to sequester C. In agronomic systems, changing from conventional plow tillage to no-till can increase soil C by an estimated 16±3%, whereas increasing rotation intensity can increase soil C by an estimated 6±3%. The increase in soil C following a change in rotation intensity, however, may occur over a slightly longer period (26 yr) than that for tillage cessation (21 yr). Sequestration strategies for grasslands have, on average, longer sequestration durations (33 yr) than for croplands. Estimates for sequestration rates and durations are mean values and can differ greatly between individual sites and management practices. As the annual sequestration rate declines over the sequestration duration period, soil C approaches a new steady state. Sequestration duration is synonymous with the time to which soil C steady state is reached. However, soils could potentially sequester additional C following additional changes in management until the maximum soil C capacity, or soil C saturation, is achieved. Carbon saturation of the soil mineral fraction is not well understood, nor is it readily evident. We provide evidence of soil C saturation and we discuss how the steady state C level and the level of soil C saturation together influence the rate and duration of C sequestration associated with changes in land management.     

Assessing geochemical carbon management

The challenge of reversing rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations is growing with the continued expansion of CO₂-emitting energy infrastructure throughout the world and with the lack of coordinated, effective measures to manage and reduce emissions. Given this situation, it is prudent for society to explore all potential carbon management options, including those with seemingly low probability for success. Recent initiatives for advancing and enhancing carbon storage options have focused primarily on the physical trapping of CO₂ in underground geologic formations and on the biological uptake of CO₂; less attention has been given to approaches that rely primarily on geochemical reactions that enhance transformation of CO₂ gas into dissolved or solid phase carbon by liberating cations to neutralize carbonic acid. This paper provides a structured review of the technical status of these geochemical approaches, and also presents a simple framework for assessing the potential and limitations of various proposed geochemical approaches to assist prioritizing future research in this area. Despite major limitations, geochemical approaches have unique potential to contribute to CO₂ reductions in ways that neither physical nor biological carbon storage can by allowing for the direct removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere with minimal requirements for integrating with existing infrastructure. Recognizing the severity and urgency of the need for carbon management options, we argue for an increase in research activity related to geochemical approaches to carbon management.     

The safe carbon budget

Cumulative emissions drive peak global warming and determine the carbon budget needed to keep temperature below 2 or 1.5 °C. This safe carbon budget is low if uncertainty about the transient climate response is high and risk tolerance (willingness to accept risk of overshooting the temperature target) is low. Together with energy costs, this budget determines the optimal carbon price and how quickly fossil fuel is abated and replaced by renewable energy. This price is the sum of the present discounted value of all future losses in aggregate production due to emitting one ton of carbon today plus the cost of peak warming that rises over time to reflect the increasing scarcity of carbon as temperature approaches its upper limit. If policy makers ignore production losses, the carbon price rises more rapidly. If they ignore the peak temperature constraint, the carbon price rises less rapidly. The alternative of adjusting damages upwards to factor in the peak warming constraint leads initially to a higher carbon price which rises less rapidly.     

Line-source carbon dioxide release

Model predictions of CO₂ concentrations downwind from a line source were calibrated using experimental data. Agreement between the model and experimental data was improved by adjusting for wind direction meander and cup anemometer overshoot. The model predictions showed that by using a negative exponential wind speed profile within the crop canopy, predictions were closer to observed CO₂ concentration profiles than when experimentally-observed wind speed profiles, which were constant with height in the lower canopy, were used. This finding suggests that much of the lower canopy airflow was not direct mass flow in the downwind direction. Eddy diffusivity profiles which showed a within-canopy local minimum resulted in arestriction in the predicted loss of CO₂ out of the canopy system. Two-dimensional plots of predicted null vertical flux and CO₂ concentration portrayed vividly the turbulent diffusion and mass flow transport of CO₂ from the line source.     

Biofuels and carbon management

Public policy supports biofuels for their benefits to agricultural economies, energy security and the environment. The environmental rationale is premised on greenhouse gas (GHG, “carbon”) emissions reduction, which is a matter of contention. This issue is challenging to resolve because of critical but difficult-to-verify assumptions in lifecycle analysis (LCA), limits of available data and disputes about system boundaries. Although LCA has been the presumptive basis of climate policy for fuels, careful consideration indicates that it is inappropriate for defining regulations. This paper proposes a method using annual basis carbon (ABC) accounting to track the stocks and flows of carbon and other relevant GHGs throughout fuel supply chains. Such an approach makes fuel and feedstock production facilities the focus of accounting while treating the CO₂ emissions from fuel end-use at face value regardless of the origin of the fuel carbon (bio- or fossil). Integrated into cap-and-trade policy and including provisions for mitigating indirect land-use change impacts, also evaluated on an annual basis, an ABC approach would provide a sound carbon management framework for the transportation fuels sector.     

中国燃煤电厂碳捕集与生物质掺烧碳捕集改造的经济性

碳捕集与封存（CCS）技术作为解决全球气候变化问题的重要手段之一,能够有效减少CO₂排放。中国作为碳排放大国,当前电力的主要来源仍是煤电,碳捕集（CC）改造在燃煤电厂中有很大的应用潜力。经济性对CC改造的部署至关重要。为此,本文计算了中国各省典型电厂CC改造前后的平准化度电成本,比较了不同省份的CO₂捕集成本与CO₂避免成本,分析了不同掺烧率下生物质掺烧结合碳捕集(bioenergy with carbon capture,BECC)改造的经济性。研究发现,CC改造会导致不同地区的燃煤电厂度电成本增加57.51%~93.38%。煤价较低的华北和西北地区（青海除外）CC改造经济性较好,BECC改造则更适合华中地区。建议在推进燃煤电厂CC和BECC改造时要充分考虑区域资源特点,完善碳市场建设,形成合理碳价以促进CC和BECC部署。     

Ocean-circulation model of the carbon cycle

A three-dimensional model of the natural carbon cycle in the oceans is described. The model is an extension of the inorganic ocean-circulation carbon cycle model of Maier-Reimer and Hasselmann (1987) to include the effect of the ocean biota. It is based on a dynamic, general circulation model of the world oceans. Chemical species important to the carbon cycle are advected by the current field of the general circulation model. Mixing occurs through numerical diffusivity (related to finite box size), a small explicit horizontal diffusivity, and a convective adjustment. An atmospheric box exchanges CO₂ with the surface ocean. There is no land biota provided in the present version of the model. The effect of the ocean biota on ocean chemistry is represented in a simple way and model distributions of chemical species are compared with distributions observed during the GEOSECS and other expeditions. Offprint requests to: R Bacastow