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Capabilities of the agricultural and forest systems in intervening as sink of carbon: the Carbon pro case study Alessandro Peressotti. Carbon and climate: a global issue. Global Carbon balance and UNFCCC agreements. Basic Research : understanding mechanisms, manipulate. Global Research :
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Capabilities of the agricultural and forest systems in interveningas sink of carbon: the Carbon pro case studyAlessandro Peressotti
Carbon and climate: a global issue Global Carbon balance and UNFCCC agreements Basic Research: understanding mechanisms, manipulate Global Research: monitor, model, scenario analysis, networks Application: mitigation options Application: carbon accounting and credits
Han Dolman, Washington, 24-10-01 How far can we go with European terrestrial sinks? • 1. Europe’s terrestrial biosphere absorbs 7 to 12% of European • anthropogenic CO2 emissions: • Estimated sink potential with human induced actions is low (0-1 %) • 2. There is still a very big uncertaninty on the sink extimates • Depends on method used • Difficult to integrate the large variability at continental level • Changing with time • 3. Integration of this sink within the Kyoto Protocol is still scientifically and politically controversial • Rules had to be agreed after the signature of the protocol • Result is a compromise between flexibility and environmental integrity (No European Market for RMU)
1. C Sink (afforestation, reforestation, sustainable management) 2. Reduction of emissions of GHG (conservation of C stock in forests and agriculture, non CO2 emissions from agriculture) 3. C Substitution (renewable source of energy replacing fossil fuel, wood replacing more carbon-intensive products) Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use (AFOLU) are important because • are part of the cause • are part of the solution In EU-15, forests currently absorb some 10% of total GHG emissions, but at the same time a similar amount of non-CO2 GHG is released from agriculture. Even if it is clear that AFOLU will not provide “the” solution, in the short term its contribution is considered important for “buying time”. furthermore, AFOLU offers opportunities for synergies between mitigation, sustainable development, biodiversity and adaptation
Understanding and making predictions on terrestrial C sink represented a major challenge for the CARBONPRO project because of:
3. Avaliability and use of data Felbermeier, 2006
4. The KP accounting rules Potential GHG emissions removals Removal units calculated with official IPCC guidelines
As a result CARBONPRO collected original data, monitored and analyzed 20 different strategies for mitigation
Results: land use change (LUC) Storage Emission
and the potential for post 2012 climate agreements when accounting rules will be different
CARBON PRO Conclusions • We tried to show that local monitoring of carbon stocks has less uncertainties than european or global. • Local actions for mitigation are the easy to be implemented and monitored • Local action have great demostrative impact on life style change • Need expertise but not a lot (Local research centers) • There is opportunity for increasing the sinks • But the market for carbon still need to be developed also if it is already foreseen.
Thank you for your attention ! Hold your carbon !