Carbon accounting for forest harvesting and wood products: review and evaluation of different approaches

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, more than 160 countries are required to report their national greenhouse gas inventories. To help countries meet this requirement, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prepared guidelines for inventorying greenhouse gases. These guidelines are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are based on the best scientific knowledge. In May 1998, in Dakar, Senegal, an IPCC expert meeting reviewed and evaluated three approaches for accounting for carbon from forest harvesting and wood products. They are the atmospheric-flow, stock-change and production approaches. In the future, governments may decide to include one of the three approaches in the land-use change and forestry module of the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Here, we demonstrate how such approaches can be evaluated using technical, scientific and policy criteria. The purpose of this evaluation is to help policy-makers potentially choose an approach for the IPCC Guidelines. This paper presents the framework of the evaluation by separating the technical and policy issues of each approach, but it does not make policy recommendations. On technical and scientific grounds, a group of experts found that the three approaches gave similar results at a global level. Data availability is not a critical factor in choosing between the approaches. However, at the national level, the approaches can differ significantly, for example, in terms of their system boundaries. Depending on technical features of each approach, credits and debits for CO₂ flows or changes in carbon stock in wood products are accounted for differently among countries that produce or consume wood. This leads to differing incentives for conserving or enhancing carbon stocks in forests, the use of imported wood products and woodfuels and waste minimisation strategies. Each approach has different implications.     

Carbon benefits from Amazonian forest reserves: leakage accounting and the value of time

Amazonian forest reserves have significant carbon benefits, but the methodology used for accounting for these benefits will be critical in determining whether the powerful economic force represented by mitigation efforts to slow global warming will be applied to creating these reserves. Opportunities for reserve creation are quickly being lost as new areas are opened to deforestation though highway construction and other developments. Leakage, or the effects that a reserve or other mitigation project provokes outside of the project boundaries, is critical to a proper accounting of net carbon benefits. Protected areas in the Amazon have particularly great potential mitigation benefits over an extended time horizon. Over a 100-year time frame, virtually no unprotected forest is likely to remain, meaning that potential leakages (both leakage to the vicinity of the reserves and that displaced by removing protected areas from the land-grabbing market) should not matter much because any short-term leakage would be “recovered” eventually. The effect of the value attributed to time greatly influences the impact of leakage on benefits credited to reserves. Simple assumptions regarding leakage scenarios illustrate the benefits of reserves and the critical areas where agreement is necessary to make this option a practical component of mitigation efforts. The stakes are too high to allow further delays in reaching agreement on these issues.     

向往森林

春天是万物复苏的季节，也是回归自然的绝佳时候。森林，那是一个接受大自然的洗礼、体验舂的气息的最佳去处。     

The determinants mostly disclosed by companies that are members of the Carbon Disclosure Project

Concerns about climate change as a result of anthropic actions have led to an increase in the volume of information disclosed about it in the reports of companies that are members of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). In this context, the factors most disclosed remain obscure due to both the complexity of climate change impacts and the stakeholders’ different interests. This study aims to identify which factors are most disclosed in the reports of companies that are members of CDP. For this purpose, it is necessary to investigate if the factors indicated by managers and experts are the main ones disclosed in the reports of Brazilian companies that are members of CDP, as well as to identify which companies stand out in climate change disclosure based on these factors. To this end, 463 reports submitted by 48 companies between 2014 and 2016 were examined and 32 factors were investigated using the NVivo® software. Some companies submitted reports with unified titles, which reduced the sample. The results indicate that certain factors—prevention of pollution, prevention of loss, management of environmental assets, volume of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate change strategy—account for 50.03% of the total volume of information disclosed about climate change. The main lesson learned from this research is that climate change mitigation strategy is strongly supported by the evidence of corporate annual reports, and it has relation with the following determinant factors: pollution prevention, loss prevention, environmental asset management, GHG emissions, and the strategy chosen by the companies to deal with climate change. Due to the low volume of research related to loss prevention and pollution prevention, we have identified that little attention has been paid to these items. Based on our results, we recommend that climate change mitigation strategies begin to consider these determinant factors in their structure because both have a strong influence in demonstrating how companies are managing these factors for stakeholders. Therefore, companies can benefit from this data to manage their resources for the maintenance of the social contract (legitimacy) through the factors most disclosed, especially companies with lower scores on the scale of ranking presented. Hence, stakeholders can have access to more information on strategies that mitigate climate change and help companies improve the disclosure of the actions that contribute to reduction of GHG emissions.     

活性炭水处理技术应用

本文综述了活性炭水处理的特点，主要影响因素，活性炭的再生及活性炭吸附法在水处理中的应用，从而论证了活性炭吸附法应用于水处理的可行性和有效性。     

两位森林小王子南非赴训 中国虎野化工程拉开序幕

9月1日,世界上最古老的老虎亚种的后代一两只中国虎崽(又名华南虎),从北京启程,经香港赴南非,接受世界首创的老虎科学野化训练。“拯救中国虎”形象大使著名影星杨紫琼及有关人员在香港举行了热情的欢迎及欢送仪式。“拯救中国虎”团队和中国政府代表团将一路护送虎崽至比勒陀利亚北部的马亚潘尼500公顷的野化区接受训练。中国虎野化工程正式拉开序幕。     

深刻把握并科学谋划城市群碳达峰、碳中和行动

城市群不但是我国经济社会发展的重要载体,也是新发展阶段实现高质量发展的关键支点。实现碳达峰、碳中和不但涉及我国经济社会发展的方方面面,还关系到城市化和城市群发展。城市群的碳达峰、碳中和行动对于我国按期实现碳达峰、碳中和目标具有重要意义。要深刻把握城市群发展融入碳达峰、碳中和的长期趋势与战略作用,高度重视并正确认识城市群在脱碳转型过程中面临的机遇和挑战。要坚持站在国家发展战略全局,科学谋划好重点城市群碳达峰、碳中和行动,协调好城市群与国家碳达峰、碳中和战略的互促、互通关系;要坚持站在城市群发展全局,科学谋划城市自身的碳达峰、碳中和行动方案和路线,尊重城市发展规律与差异;要坚持先立后破的原则,平衡好城市群高碳产业脱碳改造与零碳、低碳产业的培育;要高度重视城市群零碳、低碳能源系统对城市群碳达峰、碳中和行动的先锋引领作用;要坚持城市协同、优势互补的原则,平衡好城市群中心城市和周边中小城市的关系。     

碳质材料储氢的研究进展

在分析当前几种主要储氢技术的基础上,综述了碳质储氢材料的储氢机理及发展现状,并对其未来的发展趋势作了展望.     

生物活性炭纤维载体的筛选及总磷和锌的去除

研究了四种活性炭纤维(J-10,J-12,A-10,A-20)的比表面积情况、微孔结构及在挂膜后生物活性指数的变化情况。最大的比表面积A-20达到了1760m2/g,J-12为1225m2/g;四种活性炭纤维挂膜的生物活性指数分别达到了3.8、4.9、2.6、2.7mg/L,最佳的活性炭纤维载体材料为J-12。通过电镜扫描图观察了微生物在活性炭纤维(ACF)上的生长情况,发现不同时期微生物生长的状态、数量及物种是不同的,中期生物形态丰富,微生物种类繁多。将生物活性炭纤维法应用于原水中总磷和锌离子的去除,同生物活性炭法(BAC)的去除效果进行了比较,结果表明:在同样的实验条件下生物活性炭纤维的去除效果最佳,对总磷和锌的最佳去除率分别达到了72%和69%,使原水中总磷含量由《地表水质环境质量标准》中的Ⅲ类标准提高到Ⅱ类标准,使原水中锌的含量符合《渔业水质标准》;后期基本稳定在65%～70%和60%～70%之间;远远优于生物活性炭法。     

城市交通低碳化的可能路径

对中国如何发展城市交通低碳化进行了战略构想,从空间性减碳、技术性减碳和社会性减碳三方面着眼提出了可行性建议。     

消化污泥上清液碳源生物反硝化

挥发性脂肪酸（ＶＦＡ）是消化污泥上清液（ＤＳＳ）中主要的组分。ＤＳＳ是反硝化很好的碳源。在本试验条件下，ＤＳＳ碳源完全反硝化的临界值为１．７４ｍｇ ＤＳＳ－Ｃ／ｍｇＮＯ３－Ｎ。但是，ＤＳＳ中的ＴＫＮ除了很小一部分被用于同化合成外，其大部分进入反硝化系统后不发生任何变化并出水排放。     

Carbon emissions and management scenarios for consumer-owned utilities

An important subset of the utility sector has been scarcely explored for its ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions: consumer-owned electric utilities significantly contribute to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, but are often excluded from energy efficiency and renewable energy policies. They sell a quarter of the nation's electricity, yet the carbon impact of these sales is not well understood, due to their small size, unique ownership models, and high percentage of purchased power for distribution. This paper situates consumer-owned utilities in the context of emerging U.S. climate policy, quantifying for the first time the state-by-state carbon impact of electricity sales by consumer-owned utilities. We estimate that total retail sales by consumer-owned utilities account for roughly 568 million metric tons of CO₂ annually, making this sector the 7th largest CO₂ emitter globally, and examine state-level carbon intensities of the sector in light of the current policy environment and the share of COU distribution in the states. Based on efficiency and fuel mix pathways under conceivable regulations, carbon scenarios for 2030 are developed.     

A spatial assessment of the forest carbon budget for Ukraine

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - The spatial representation of forest cover and forest parameters is a prerequisite for undertaking a systems approach to the full and...     

地下水生物反硝化的纤维素碳源选择研究

硝酸盐污染已迅速发展为重要的环境问题,硝酸盐污染的现有传统治理和去除技术目前主要有物理法、化学法和生物法,本文利用纤维素作为固态有机碳能满足反硝化细菌所需的碳源,综述利用固态纤维素作为反硝化碳源的研究现状,从而选取5种合适的天然纤维素作为反硝化细菌碳源来研究在缺氧状态下对20mg／LNO3--N的地下水的降解效果。结果表明,利用固态香樟叶纤维素作为碳源去除NO3--N的效果较明显,其次为稻草;并且纤维素作为生物反硝化碳源具有成本低廉、易获取、不需经常补充的优点。     

二氧化碳水合物生成过程的强化方法研究进展

二氧化碳水合物是一种潜在的新能源,随着环境问题的日益突出,国内外科学家愈加重视二氧化碳水合物的研究,本文主要对二氧化碳水合物的强化方法进行了总结,对比了几种方法对水合物生成的影响。     

超临界二氧化碳回收处理废润滑油的研究

超临界二氧化碳作为一种环境友好型溶剂,具有临界温度低,渗透性和溶解能力强,无杂质残留,不产生二次污染等优点。文章主要介绍了超临界二氧化碳作为降粘剂,结合膜分离技术,用于废润滑油回收处理方面的研究进展。     

英国的碳减排法律制度

概况气候变化自1914年以来,英国各地的年平均气温升高了0.4～0.9℃不等。有记录的10个最热年份中8个出现在1990年以后,其中2006年是有记录以来的最热年份。20世纪90年代以来,英国周围的海平面平均每年上升3毫米,海面温     

Transaction costs for carbon sequestration projects in the tropical forest sector

There is general consensus that carbon (C) sequestration projects in forests are a relatively low cost option for mitigating climate change, but most studies on the subject have assumed that transaction costs are negligible. The objectives of the study were to examine transaction costs for forest C sequestration projects and to determine the significance of the costs based on economic analyses. Here we examine four case studies of active C sequestration projects being implemented in tropical countries and developed for the C market. The results from the case studies were then used with a dynamic forest and land use economic model to investigate how transaction costs affect the efficiency and cost of forest C projects globally. In the case studies transaction costs ranged from 0.38 to 27 million US dollars ($0.09 to $7.71/t CO₂) or 0.3 to 270 % of anticipated income depending principally on the price of C and project size. The three largest cost categories were insurance (under the voluntary market; 41–89 % of total costs), monitoring (3–42 %) and regulatory approval (8–50 %). The global analysis indicated that most existing estimates of marginal costs of C sequestration are underestimated by up to 30 % because transaction costs were not included.     

Climate impact potential of utilizing forest residues for bioenergy in Norway

The utilization of forest residues for bioenergy in Norway is foreseen to increase due to the government call to double bioenergy output by 2020 to thirty Tera-Watt hours. This study focuses on the climate impacts of bioenergy utilization where four forest residue extraction scenarios at clear-cut are considered: i) 75 % above ground residues (branches, (25 %) foliage, tops); ii) 75 % above and below ground residues (branches, tops, (25 %) foliage, stumps, coarse and small roots); iii) extracting 100 % of all available forest residue; and iv) leaving all residues in the forest. The Yasso07 soil-carbon model was utilized to quantify the carbon flux to the atmosphere due to the forest residues that are left in the forest in each scenario. The climate impact potential for each scenario was then calculated for the carbon-flux neutral Norway Spruce (Picea abies) forest system in five regions of Norway. The biogenic carbon dioxide emissions associated to decomposition upon forest floor, procurement losses and bioenergy conversion are included in these calculations. Results suggest that if such bioenergy can directly replace a fossil source of energy, the utilization of this biomass was found to be climatically beneficial in most fossil energy replacement cases and time horizons when compared to leaving the residues in the forest. Integrated global temperature change displacement factors have been developed which have been used to estimate the magnitude of this climate change mitigation over a particular time horizon.     

Forest biorefineries - A business opportunity for the Finnish forest cluster

Bioenergy and biomass-based products offer the greatest new opportunities for diversifying business in the forest cluster. In particular, biorefineries, which can be integrated into the pulp and paper industry, seem to have immense future potential. This article aims to explore the biorefinery concept and related new products and business operations, as well as new business strategies and company models, which are part of the biorefinery value chain. These factors, which contribute to the establishment and success of forest biorefineries, were examined using internet survey responses and compared between Scandinavia, North America and South America. This article looks at the results of the survey - primarily from the Finnish perspective - to help identify competitive advantages upon which successful business operations in the Finnish forest cluster can be built.According to the survey, the outlooks for technical and raw material choices, as well as barriers to biorefinery diffusion, are very similar in all the studied areas. Biorefineries and related energy products are considered the way to sustainably guarantee the forest cluster’s success. An increase in the price of oil motivates the development of forest biorefineries and wood-based biofuels; however, it is obvious that there is a need to revaluate from a fresh perspective the utilisation of wood and the wood-refining chain in the forest cluster.The survey respondents consider wood-based biofuel and chemical production a serious business opportunity for the forest cluster. In Finland, there is a strong confidence in the production of biofuels. However, all the countries included in the study trust in their own national strengths and in their chance to be a leading actor in the forest biorefinery business worldwide. The forest biorefinery business seems to have market potential, and global competition can thus be expected.