Regression models of carbon and CO2 sequestration of hybrid poplar stands in the Northern Serbian region

This research is based on creating regression models as follows: 1. Total carbon sequestration, 2. Total carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration and carbon credit (CO₂e) generation, 3. Annual carbon sequestration and 4. Annual CO₂ sequestration and annual carbon credit generation (CO₂e). The research was carried out in plantations of the species Populus x euramericana (Dode) Guinier clone I-214. In addition to the field research, a modeling framework for quantifying carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems CO₂FIX var 3.1 was used to calculate stored carbon. Analysis of collected samples of branches and leaves was performed using CHN Vario EL III analyzer. The results of the research indicated that the total sequestration of carbon (C) for a thirty-year production cycle was 78.58 tC ha^-1, while the average value for all years of a thirty-year production cycle was 44.02 tC ha^-1. The average annual sequestration of carbon for all years of a thirty-year production cycle was 2.62 tC ha^-1yr^-1, while the average annual sequestration of carbon dioxide, or average annual changes in CO₂ stocks for all years of a thirty-year production cycle was 9.60 tCO₂ ha^-1yr^-1.

Towards Comparable Carbon Credits: Harmonization of LCA Models of Cellulosic Biofuels

Decarbonization programs are being proposed worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models or tools. Although such models are broadly accepted, varying results are often observed. This study describes similarities and differences of key decarbonization programs and their GHG calculators and compares established LCA models for assessing 2G ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstock. The selected LCA models were GHGenius, GREET, JRC’s model, and VSB, which originated calculators for British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Renewable Energy Directive, and RenovaBio, respectively. We performed a harmonization of the selected models by inserting data of one model into other ones to illustrate the possibility of obtaining similar results after a few harmonization steps and to determine which parameters have higher contribution to closing the gap between default results. Differences among 2G ethanol from wheat straw were limited to 0.1 gCO2eq. MJ−1, and discrepancies in emissions decreased by 95% and 78% for corn stover and forest residues, respectively. Better understanding of structure, calculation procedures, parameters, and methodological assumptions among the LCA models is a first step towards an improved harmonization that will allow a globally accepted and exchangeable carbon credit system to be created.

Analysis of carbon credit trading (CCT) practices: a study of manufacturing organizations in British Columbia, Canada

Purpose Factors that affect the use of carbon credit trading (CCT) by industries include as follows: avoiding carbon taxes, international expansion, venture capital, competitive advantage and clean technology. The impact of these factors is examined here in relation to the profile of 14 Canadian organizations to investigate factors that influence CCT practices. Design/methodology/approach This research involves a survey of 150 employees at 14 industries in British Columbia (BC) Canada to review and analyze their perceptions of factors that impact CCT. Findings Results demonstrate the potential for enhancing the use of CCT by organizations. It was shown that organizations perceive that CCT enhances their competitive advantage, which is an incentive that needs further investigation as having potential for encouraging CCT and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Research limitations/implications Due to limited funding and workforce, as well as geographical constraints, only 14 industrial organizations were engaged in this research in BC Canada. The scope of future research needs to be enlarged by considering neighboring countries such as the USA and Mexico. This research regarding factors that impact organizations in adopting carbon crediting trading has the potential to provide and shape inter-continental comparisons. Practical implications This study illustrates how CCT has the potential to enhance competitive advantage and may impact the industry toward reducing GHG emissions through CCT. This concept adds a new environmental protection factor and dimension to trade and industry. As organizations plan to invest funds in different carbon reduction projects this may result in expanded employment opportunities. Social implications Organizations are interested in CCT but may hesitate in engaging in CCT as it can be a complex procedure. In addition to further research, workshops and seminars regarding CCT and dissemination of research should be organized by the universities, related authorities and government organizations to make CCT more known and feasible. This study shows that financial and non-financial benefits may be gained by any organization when involved in CCT. Larger advertising and information campaigns may motivate more organizations in this regard. Originality/value This study extends the study of Garg et al. (2017) regarding challenges for CCT practices. International Journal of Management, 10(1), 85–96. It contributes evidence that the size (revenue) of an organization does not affect the level of carbon credits traded and shows potential for smaller organizations to be encouraged to take part in CCT.

Scalability in the Application of Geodesign in Brazil: Expanding the Use of the Brazilian Geodesign Platform to Metropolitan Regions in Transformative-Learning Planning

The Brazilian Geodesign platform was proposed based on extensive experience in Geodesign workshops, aiming to adapt the method to the country’s cultural specificities, with a commitment to support the construction of opinions in planning, in the process of transformative-learning planning. To test the scalability of the method, a study was developed in 13 metropolitan regions of the country, with the involvement of universities, distributed from north to south, in different biomes and urbanization conditions. The same method was proposed for everyone, starting from the same collection of 40 thematic maps to support discussions about alternative futures in land use. Participants used the GISColab platform and went through the same stages of analysis, proposition, and negotiation of ideas. As a result, there was an improvement in the projects developed between the first and the last day of work, with the expansion of compliance with the goals of sustainable development (SDG) and areas for carbon credit. It was possible to observe that, although they used the same framework proposed, each group adapted the method to their local reality, proving the scalability of the process and the necessary flexibility for employment in different realities, ensuring a defensible and reproducible criterion. As recommendations, it would be interesting to apply the same study of multiple simultaneous cases in another country, to analyze the scalability and flexibility to local changes, as it happened in the experiment. This would be entirely possible, as the platform is based on worldwide OGC standards (Open Geospatial Consortium) and would have full interoperability in use.

Climate finance for forest conservation will grow

Significance The wider adoption of net-zero targets by private companies creates further demand for new carbon credits, including from forests. However, the expanding market for carbon credits and the proliferation of crediting schemes also introduces complexity, both for forested countries aiming to fund conservation measures and for prospective credit buyers. Impacts Carbon credit futures contracts are likely to be developed as the market matures. Satellite, artificial intelligence and other remote sensing technology will be more regularly used to monitor forest conservation efforts. Scrutiny of commodity supply chains for ‘deforestation-free’ products will grow.

Incentivising peatland restoration and rewetting actions through a result-based EU carbon farming mechanism

<p>Intact peatland plays an important role for the carbon cycle, climate mitigation and provision of ecosystems services due to their role as a permanent water-locked carbon stock and ongoing sink. However, years of unsustainable land management practices have resulted in degradation of peatlands in the EU and around 220 Mt CO₂ eq. are emitted in the EU per year[1] from peatland drainage alone. New approaches to peatland restoration and rewetting are being explored to ensure effective and efficient climate actions. Learning from and building on already operational sub-national and national result-based payment peatland mechanism and programmes, this study provides recommendations on designing and operating an effective and efficient result-based carbon farming peatland mechanism in the EU. The findings suggest that a results-based carbon farming mechanism offers a promising way to incentivise, e.g. governments, authorities and farmers to develop and implement peatland restoration and rewetting projects. Results-based mechanisms provide new and additional sources of finance to counter high upfront restoration costs, as well as provide an opportunity to valorise GHG emissions from large, geographically confined emission sources based on current carbon credit prices.</p><div> <div> <p>[1] Source: Grifswald Mire Centre (2019). https://www.greifswaldmoor.de/files/dokumente/Infopapiere_Briefings/202003_CAP%20Policy%20Brief%20Peatlands%20in%20the%20new%20EU%20Version%204.8.pdf</p> </div> </div>

Direct Aquatic Application of Crushed Dolomite Reduces CO2 Evasion in an Acidified River

<p>Acidified rivers may have increased CO<sub>2</sub> emissions because their low pH transforms inorganic carbon in the form of bicarbonate anions to CO<sub>2</sub>, which can evade to the atmosphere, thus interrupting the delivery inorganic carbon to the oceans, a key flux in the long-term carbonate silicate cycle. Enhanced weathering (EW) is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy aiming to increase drawdown of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> through accelerated carbonation weathering of crushed minerals with targeted carbonate sequestration in oceanic stores. To date, EW research has been focused on terrestrial application of crushed minerals, and the CDR capability of enhancing weathering via addition of crushed minerals to rivers from lime dosers is essentially unexplored. Lime dosers have been used for decades to directly deposit crushed carbonate rock to rivers as a function of river flow in Norway and Nova Scotia, Canada, yet their potential as a CDR tool has yet to be verified in the field. In this study, we adapt CO<sub>2</sub> flux sensors (eosFD) designed for soils to be deployed in rivers. We conducted field trials on the Killag River, Nova Scotia, upstream and downstream of a lime doser over a period of six weeks in the autumn of 2020. Preliminary analysis shows elevated CO<sub>2</sub> evasion rates upstream of the lime doser and decreased evasion rates downstream. Aside from flood waves, CO<sub>2</sub> evasion at the downstream (treated) site is reduced to almost zero for extended periods of time. Next steps are to identify whether the reduced CO<sub>2</sub> evasion is due to CO<sub>2</sub> drawdown via increased carbonation weathering of the crushed dolomite or through reduced CO<sub>2</sub> evasion due to increased pH, or from a combination of the two processes. The results of this study may have implications for carbon credit programs for acidification mitigation and may encourage more widespread use of enhanced weathering as a CDR tool in rivers.</p>