AN OVERVIEW OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

1
AN OVERVIEW OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

• Earth Observation for Sustainable Development of
  Forests (EOSD)
• Victoria, B.C. - March 8, 1999
• Tony Lemprière

2
Objectives

• What is the role of sinks within the Kyoto
  Protocol?
• How can sinks help Canada meet its Kyoto targets?
• Role of CFS/NRCan

3
Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Each Party shalllimit its anthropogenic
  emissions of greenhouse gases and protect and
  enhance its greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs

4
What is a Sink?

• A sink is any process, activity or mechanism
  which removes a greenhouse gas... from the
  atmosphere (e.g., tree growth via
  photosynthesis)
• Reservoirs are where a greenhouse gas is
  stored (e.g., trees)

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Sinks in the Kyoto Protocol

• Net changes in greenhouse gas emissions from
  sources and removals by sinks
• resulting from direct human-induced land-use
  change and forestry activities
• limited to afforestation, reforestation and
  deforestation (RAD) since 1990
• measured as the verifiable change in stocks in
  each commitment period

6
Canadian Definitions of RAD

• Afforestation planting of new forests on
  agricultural land
• Reforestation planting and natural regeneration
  of forests after harvest
• Deforestation permanent land use change (e.g.,
  clearing forest for agriculture) ACTIVITIES
  SINCE 1990 ONLY!

7
Canada a leading forest nation

• 417 million ha of forest (60 productive) 10
  of the worlds forests
• Huge reservoir of CO2 DOESNT MATTER!
• Only reforestation, deforestation, afforestation
  since 1990 Kyoto forest 20-25 million ha in
  2010

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An Interpretation of RAD
Canada
Forest
Managed forest
Afforestation
Deforestation
Reforestation
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Contribution of Sinks will be Influenced by

• 1) Negotiations
• additional activities?
• interpretations and definitions?
• 2) Policies
• afforestation program?Estimated 0-25 million
  tons of CO2 0-12 of target in 2010

10
Forest Distribution
Total Land 921.5 MM ha Total Forest 417.6
MM ha of which, Timber productive 244.6 MM
ha Timber unproductive 169.7 MM
ha Unspecified timber-productivity 3.3
MM ha The managed forest has never been
defined. Considerations accessible, legal,
policy
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Disturbance Patterns
Natural - Wildfire 1.41 MM ha - Insects and
Diseases 7.12 MM ha Anthropogenic - Harvesting
1.02 MM ha 182.9 MM m3
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Role of CFS

• Sinks negotiations and supporting analysis
• Estimates of BAU estimates of RAD
• Impact of potential policies related to sinks
• Methods for measuring and reporting,e.g. new
  national forest inventory system
• Science and adaptation research
• National Implementation Process Tables
• Forest Sector Table and Sinks Table

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Data Implications of the Kyoto Protocol
A. If it is to be the Kyoto Forest, the
additional costs of monitoring and verifying will
in all likelihood exceed the benefits. B. If it
is to be the managed forest, the additional
costs will easily be covered by the benefits.