Prior to Economic Treatment of Emissions and Their Uncertainties Under the Kyoto Protocol: Scientific Uncertainties That Must Be Kept in Mind

The Kyoto Protocol makes provisions for carbon sinks from forest management to be taken into account as a contribution towards fulfilling a country's emission reduction target. Additional emission allowances are allocated for these forest carbon sinks. If Switzerland uses this extra contingent of allowances to the full it would then only have to reduce emissions by 4.5% instead of the actual target of 8%. Emission allowances from carbon sinks can be traded on the emissions trading market and be claimed by forest owners. An assessment of the income that could be anticipated was carried out in four forestry companies: with the CO2 price set at 10 CHF per ton it was seen that a potential revenue of between 6 and 71 CHF per hectare and year could be realised. However, the legal basis for allocating emission allowances from carbon sinks to forest owners has yet to be created. In view of the fact that the two chambers of Parliament refused the introduction of the Forests Act Revision Bill, it is not clear if and in what form this will be done. For the period after 2012, the rules will be renegotiated at the international level and it is expected that the carbon stored in harvested wood products will be taken into account. Accordingly, wood removed from the forest would no longer be automatically counted as a CO2 source in the emission balance.

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Anrechnung der CO2-Senken des Schweizer Waldes: Grundlagenpapier und Empfehlungen | Accounting of CO2 sinks in Swiss forests. Working paper and recommendations

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2005.0438 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 156 (11) ◽

pp. 438-441

Author(s):

Arbeitsgruppe Wald- und ◽

Holzwirtschaft im Klimaschutz

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Greenhouse Gases ◽

Climate Policy ◽

Federal Government ◽

Kyoto Protocol ◽

Carbon Balance ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

Management Policy ◽

Working Paper ◽

Reduction Of Co2

With the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, Switzerland is committed to reducing CO2emissions by 4.2 million tonnes by 2008. The forests in Switzerland could contribute to the country's national carbon balance with maximum 1.8 million tonnes reduction of CO2. With an increased use of the forest the emissions could be reduced by up to 2 million tonnes by the substitution of other materials. With a targeted forest management policy carbon sink reduction and the substitution value of the forest could be balanced against one another. In the framework of climate policy the Federal government should create the legal and organisational conditions for this.

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