Forest Carbon Sequestration

Biological carbon sequestration utilizes naturally occurring processes to capture carbon dioxide and store it for years to come.  Forests comprise greater than 20% of the world’s total land area are among the most effective of the biological processes for storing carbon, and accordingly play a significant role in mitigating climate change.

Forest Carbon Project Categories

There are currently five main carbon programs/protocols/registries that recognize some form of forest carbon sequestration project type: the Kyoto Protocol - Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the American Carbon Registry (ACR) and the Climate Action Reserve (CAR).  Each system has different requirements for project eligibility, different calculations to determine credit generation, different commitment periods for forestry projects and different financial opportunities. Forest project categories that are typically recognized are afforestation / reforestation, improved forest management, long-lived and harvested wood products, avoided deforestation and degradation, and urban forest.

Forest Carbon Sequestration/Avoided Emissions

ESI’s staff of professionals has a diverse and comprehensive background in forest carbon sequestration including national and international experience.  Our goal is to provide our clients with the most comprehensive forest carbon sequestration and avoided emissions services, including comprehensive due diligence and advising on potential projects, turn-key technical project development, and/or representation during credit transaction negotiations.

Present educational programs on forest carbon issues and opportunities:

• Ecosystem services assessments
• Forest carbon/avoided emissions offset project development, implementation,  management, and monitoring
• Project advocacy and representation during project development and verification
• Management planning to enhance carbon sequestration, while continuing to generate timber revenue, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and/or other ecosystem services
• Forest carbon feasibility assessments and due diligence reviews
• Carbon stock assessment through traditional or remote-sensing inventory, including modeling of future sequestration rates
• Permanence, leakage and additionality assessments
• Market analysis of current registries/trading platforms/certification systems to identify opportunities and limitations