Review of Policy Instruments for Climate-Smart Mountain Forestry

Implementing the Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) concept into practice requires interaction among key stakeholders, especially forest owners and managers, policymakers (or regulators in general), forest consultants, and forest users. But what could be the most effective policy instruments to achieve climate smartness in mountain forests? Which ones would be the most acceptable for forest owners? And for the local forest communities? Should they be designed and implemented with the use of participatory approaches or rather on a top-down basis? This chapter summarizes key policy instruments structured in three subsequent categories: command-and-control, voluntary market-based instruments, and community cooperation. It provides examples of their functioning in the forestry sector and discusses their suitability for the implementation of climate smart forestry. It appears that there are many policy instruments used with varying degrees of success such as forest concessions or voluntary certification schemes. A wide range of instruments are responding to direct regulation; this has been seen as insufficient to deal with natural hazards and calamities.

Unfinished Paths—From Blockchain to Sustainability in Supply Chains

Blockchain technology has been promised as a solution to social and environmental issues in supply chains. The potential includes reduction of vulnerable party exploitation and avoiding environmentally harmful practices. Yet, it remains unclear how these potential improvements are created and whether blockchain can truly contribute. Therefore, this field study explores and identifies the mechanisms for blockchain technology to facilitate positive social and environmental impacts in supply chains. We applied an explorative qualitative research approach and interviewed blockchain technology implementers and practitioners that allowed a detailed analysis of this problem despite the scarcity of practice data. The results include the development of a middle-range theory that shows barriers and drivers of blockchain-based technologies in supply chains, introduces the concept of blockchain-enabled system, and outlines expected outcomes and impacts. We further identify four impact pathways that describe how blockchain-enabled system create positive impact: (voluntary) market mechanisms, plausibility checks, smart contracts and tokenisation, and peer-to-peer trust. The study contributes by providing insights into “how” blockchain-based technologies in supply chains can lead to social and environmental impacts. The study also furthers the discussion on blockchain technology’s role in supply chain implementation and addresses the yet unresolved problem of measuring the impact of such blockchain-enabled systems.

Forest carbon offsets over a smart ledger

2021 has seen increasing climate policy action and net-zero commitments by individuals, companies and governments. A crucial aspect for the transition to net-zero is the voluntary offset market, with projects relating to REDD+ amongst the most popular. Policy-makers are grappling to make such markets efficient and scalable, however, many issues undermine these efforts pertaining to additionality, permanence, leakage and property and community rights. Digitisation has also accelerated, with technologies, notably blockchain, starting to enter the climate change space. Its use is becoming increasingly common within the voluntary market and, in particular, REDD+, although such projects, are generally in proposal or pilot stages. Given the emergence of other technologies such as AI and machine learning, the technologisation of REDD+ is only likely to increase. Thus modern technologies are being seen by developers as a potential solution to issues hindering REDD+. Potential benefits arising from technology use are unlikely to fully accrue without a wider focus on what has undermined REDD+ to date. As such, there is an urgency to establish an understanding of how projects can utilise these technologies to reduce long-standing issues. To do this, we discuss these issues together with technologies’ capacity to address drawbacks of REDD+ projects.

Forest carbon offsets over a smart ledger

2021 has seen increasing climate policy action and net-zero commitments by individuals, companies and governments. A crucial aspect for the transition to net-zero is the voluntary offset market, with projects relating to REDD+ amongst the most popular. Policy-makers are grappling to make such markets efficient and scalable, however, many issues undermine these efforts pertaining to additionality, permanence, leakage and property and community rights. Digitisation has also accelerated, with technologies, notably blockchain, starting to enter the climate change space. Its use is becoming increasingly common within the voluntary market and, in particular, REDD+, although such projects, are generally in proposal or pilot stages. Given the emergence of other technologies such as AI and machine learning, the technologisation of REDD+ is only likely to increase. Thus modern technologies are being seen by developers as a potential solution to issues hindering REDD+. Potential benefits arising from technology use are unlikely to fully accrue without a wider focus on what has undermined REDD+ to date. As such, there is an urgency to establish an understanding of how projects can utilise these technologies to reduce long-standing issues. To do this, we discuss these issues together with technologies’ capacity to address drawbacks of REDD+ projects

Floristic structure and ecological role of Rourea afzelii stand in three savannah ecosystems from Cameroon

The present study investigated the floristic structure and ecological role of Rourea afzelii stands insavannah, forest galleries and swampy areas to Cameroon. An 80 m x 50 m transect method wasundertaken to measure floristic diversity using Shannon index, Pielou equitability, Simpson’s indexand the importance value index. The structure of Rourea afzelii stands is determined by density,basal area and biovolume. The results of this study show that Rourea afzelii stands are morediversified in savannah with a Shannon diversity index (ISH =4 ± 0.03bit). The highest log stabilityof Rourea afzelii stands is observed in the savannah (EQ=0.75 ± 0.008). The Simpson index of theRourea afzelii stands is larger in the forest gallery (D=0.088 ± 0.0022). Rourea afzelii Stands aredenser in savannah (113 ± 2.54 individuals/ha). The basal area and biovolume of Rourea afzeliistands are very high in swamp area (St=15.75 ± 0.02 m2/ha, Biov=9.08 ± 0.12 m3/ha). The diametricstructure has an asymmetrical “L” shaped appearance, indicating a strong regeneration of Roureaafzelii Stands in the three sites studied. Rourea afzelii Stands in forest galleries sequestered morecarbon (26.41 ± 0.0015 ton C/ha) than those in savannahs and swampy areas. This valuecorresponds to sequestration of carbon dioxide of 96.92 ± 0.82 ton CO2/ha. Economically, thiscorresponds to the CDM carbon price (290.77± 3.332 Euros/ha), a Voluntary Market Carbon Priceof 455.54 ± 1.908 Euros/ha, a REDD + carbon price of 9692 ± 8.152 Euros/ha. In conclusion, theresults of this study can be used in the context of protection and conservation as well as thedomestication of such a species.

Industrial biochar systems for atmospheric carbon removal: a review

In the context of climate change, there is an urgent need for rapid and efficient methods to capture and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. For instance, production, use and storage of biochar are highly carbon negative, resulting in an estimated sequestration of 0.3–2 Gt CO2 year−1 by 2050. Yet, biochar production requires more knowledge on feedstocks, thermochemical conversion and end applications. Herein, we review the design and development of biochar systems, and we investigate the carbon removal industry. Carbon removal efforts are currently promoted via the voluntary market. The major commercialized technologies for offering atmospheric carbon removal are forestation, direct air carbon capture utilization and storage, soil carbon sequestration, wooden building elements and biochar, with corresponding fees ranging from 10 to 895 GBP (British pounds) per ton CO2. Biochar fees range from 52 to 131 GBP per ton CO2, which indicates that biochar production is a realistic strategy that can be deployed at large scale. Carbon removal services via biochar are currently offered through robust marketplaces that require extensive certification, verification and monitoring, which adds an element of credibility and authenticity. Biochar eligibility is highly dependent on the type of feedstock utilized and processing conditions employed. Process optimization is imperative to produce an end product that meets application-specific requirements, environmental regulations and achieve ultimate stability for carbon sequestration purposes.

From codes of conduct to international framework agreements: contractualising the protection of human rights

This article analyses international framework agreements (IFAs) in the light of Polanyi’s account of interventions to embed markets and thus regulate them. This special type of voluntary market regulatory arrangement that is shaped by multinational companies and international trade unions and constructed through the activities of the state is envisaged as a possible tool to embed liberalism even though several challenges must be taken into consideration.

Utilisation of a certified wood in wood processing companies in the Czech Republic

The present business environment offers a wide scale of production and it is increasingly difficult to find a product standard which can distinguish the producer from competitors. The pressure of lobby groups and legislation arrangements force the society to reflect a need for ecologic and sustainable thinking. The current trend and requirements of EU are the implementation of certified systems and production of wooden products from certified wood. This paper focused on the present situation in the supply of products from certified wood and analyses an exercitation of eco-philosophy in the business of wood processors, the rate of manufacturing of certified wooden products, as well as reasons and benefits of certified production. This paper presents selected results of primary research carried out in Czechia which was focused on the investigation of economic impacts of wood products manufacturing from certified raw wood. All presented results emphasise the need for voluntary market tools with ecologic character. Keywords: Certification system, certified wood, wood processing, eco philosophy.

Understanding the demand for REDD+ credits

SUMMARYReducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a potentially important component of the global policy mix to mitigate climate change. Against a background of increasing engagement between private sector entities and conservation organizations, private sector investment has emerged in REDD+. Despite slow developments at the international scale, there continues to be private sector interest in REDD+ and continued voluntary investments in REDD+ projects and initiatives. In order to better understand possible models for private sector engagement in REDD+, this study analysed the motivation of private sector stakeholders to engage in REDD+, the perception of the potential of REDD+, the critical obstacles to making REDD+ functional and how actors perceive themselves as part of future REDD+ scenarios. Based on interviews and a workshop with private sector actors, this study found that few expect a regulatory market for REDD+ to emerge and that credits from the voluntary market have to be tailored to specific needs. As a carbon offset, REDD+ provides insufficient motivation for investment, particularly if cheaper alternatives exist. Co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation and community development are more important when traditional corporate social responsibility motivations play a role. Project scale remains important not only for the fact that smaller projects are viewed as offering more visible benefits to stakeholders but also as a means of having more control over risks on the ground, posing a challenge for the design of jurisdictional REDD+. Moving towards supply chains that are free from deforestation offers an opportunity to tackle commodity-driven deforestation. While questions remain about how such an approach might be integrated into REDD+, it could help address a perceived gap between private sector understanding of the values of REDD+ and the risks associated with these values not arising – termed here as a ‘missing middle’.