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The leaky sink: persistent obstacles to a forest carbon sequestration program based on individual projects

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  • Kenneth Richards
  • Krister Andersson

Abstract

One strategy for mitigating the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is to expand the size of the terrestrial carbon sink, particularly forests, essentially using trees as biological scrubbers. Within relevant ranges of carbon abatement targets, augmenting carbon sequestration by protecting and expanding biomass sinks can potentially make large contributions at costs that are comparable or lower than for emission source controls. The Kyoto protocol to the framework convention on climate change includes many provisions for forest and land use carbon sequestration projects and activities in its signatories' overall greenhouse gas mitigation plans. In particular, the protocol provides a joint implementation provision and a clean development mechanism that would allow nations to claim credit for carbon sequestration projects undertaken in cooperation with other countries. However, there are many obstacles for implementing an effective program of land use change and forestry carbon credits, especially measurement challenges. This paper explains the difficulty that even impartial analysts have in assessing the carbon offset benefits of projects. When these measurement challenges are combined with self-interest, asymmetries of information, and large numbers, it prevents to a project-based forest and land use carbon credit program may be insurmountable.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth Richards & Krister Andersson, 2001. "The leaky sink: persistent obstacles to a forest carbon sequestration program based on individual projects," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(1), pages 41-54, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tcpoxx:v:1:y:2001:i:1:p:41-54
    DOI: 10.3763/cpol.2001.0105
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    1. Stavins, Robert N., 1997. "Policy Instruments for Climate Change: How Can National Governments Address a Global Problem?," Discussion Papers 10757, Resources for the Future.
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    1. Mason, Charles F. & Plantinga, Andrew J., 2013. "The additionality problem with offsets: Optimal contracts for carbon sequestration in forests," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 1-14.
    2. Paul J. Burke, 2016. "Undermined by Adverse Selection: Australia's Direct Action Abatement Subsidies," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(3), pages 216-229, September.
    3. Raksha Khadka & Lila Karki & Prem Bhandari, 2025. "A Review Analysis of Heirs’ Property Challenges in Sustainable Land Use," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-29, October.
    4. Chun-Jing Wang & Dong-Zhou Deng & Wu-Xian Yan & Zhi-Wen Gao & Shan-Feng Huang & Ji-Zhong Wan, 2025. "Application of Forest Integrity Assessment to Determine Community Diversity in Plantation Forests Managed Under Carbon Sequestration Projects in the Western Qinba Mountains, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-12, April.
    5. Charles F. Mason, 2018. "Optimal Contracts for Discouraging Deforestation with Risk Averse Agents," CESifo Working Paper Series 7067, CESifo.
    6. Roncoli, Carla & Jost, Christine & Perez, Carlos & Moore, Keith & Ballo, Adama & Cisse, Salmana & Ouattara, Karim, 2007. "Carbon sequestration from common property resources: Lessons from community-based sustainable pasture management in north-central Mali," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 97-109, April.
    7. Thomas Knoke & Michael Weber, 2006. "Expanding Carbon Stocks in Existing Forests – A Methodological Approach for Cost Appraisal at the Enterprise Level," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 579-605, May.
    8. Filewod, Ben & McCarney, Geoff, 2023. "Avoiding leakage from nature-based offsets by design," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117928, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Kim, Man-Keun & McCarl, Bruce A. & Murray, Brian C., 2008. "Permanence discounting for land-based carbon sequestration," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 763-769, February.
    10. Perez, Carlos & Roncoli, Carla & Neely, Constance & Steiner, Jean L., 2007. "Can carbon sequestration markets benefit low-income producers in semi-arid Africa? Potentials and challenges," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 2-12, April.
    11. Adam G. Bumpus & Diana M. Liverman, 2008. "Accumulation by Decarbonization and the Governance of Carbon Offsets," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 84(2), pages 127-155, April.
    12. Khanal, Puskar N. & Grebner, Donald L. & Straka, Thomas J. & Adams, Damian C., 2019. "Obstacles to participation in carbon sequestration for nonindustrial private forest landowners in the southern United States: A diffusion of innovations perspective," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 95-101.
    13. Filewod, Ben & McCarney, Geoff, 2023. "Avoiding leakage from nature-based offsets by design," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117927, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Elberg Nielsen, Anne Sofie & Plantinga, Andrew J. & Alig, Ralph J., 2014. "Mitigating climate change through afforestation: New cost estimates for the United States," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 83-98.
    15. Alice Favero & Robert Mendelsohn, 2014. "Using Markets for Woody Biomass Energy to Sequester Carbon in Forests," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 75-95.
    16. Frank Vöhringer, 2004. "Forest conservation and the clean development mechanism: Lessons from the Costa Rican protected areas project," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 217-240, July.
    17. Torres, Arturo Balderas & Marchant, Rob & Lovett, Jon C. & Smart, James C.R. & Tipper, Richard, 2010. "Analysis of the carbon sequestration costs of afforestation and reforestation agroforestry practices and the use of cost curves to evaluate their potential for implementation of climate change mitigat," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 469-477, January.
    18. Charles F. Mason & Andrew J. Plantinga, 2011. "Contracting for Impure Public Goods: Carbon Offsets and Additionality," Working Papers 2011.13, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    19. Stefanie Engel & Charles Palmer & Luca Taschini & Simon Urech, 2015. "Conservation Payments under Uncertainty," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 91(1), pages 36-56.

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