2002 World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists

The Kyoto Protocol allows for changes in terrestrial carbon stocks from direct human-induced land use and land use change (LULUCF) to count toward a country’s greenhouse gas reduction commitments. The IPCC Special Report on LULUCF report expressed concern that indirect effects of human activity (e.g., bio-physical effects from climate change itself) could greatly affect the carbon sequestered and counted in the agreement (Watson et al 2000, p.10). We investigate the magnitude of this effect. To do this, we employ forest and agricultural sector models to account for climate change-induced alterations in forest and agricultural productivity. With these changes imposed, we are able to empirically gauge the corresponding effects on the carbon sequestration both in the baseline and when climate mitigation incentives (carbon prices) are present. We find there is a significant baseline effect and that there are substantial positive synergies between climate change induced carbon sequestration rate alterations and carbon sequestration responses to economic incentives.



	Paper Title:	The Joint Effect Of Climate Change Impacts And Mitigation Incentives On The Rate Of Carbon Sequestration In Terrestrial Ecosystems
	Presenting Author:	Brian C Murray (Research Triangle Institute)
	Coauthor 1:	Brent L Sohngen
	Coauthor 2:	Bruce A McCarl
	Coauthor 3:
	Abstract:	The Kyoto Protocol allows for changes in terrestrial carbon stocks from direct human-induced land use and land use change (LULUCF) to count toward a country’s greenhouse gas reduction commitments. The IPCC Special Report on LULUCF report expressed concern that indirect effects of human activity (e.g., bio-physical effects from climate change itself) could greatly affect the carbon sequestered and counted in the agreement (Watson et al 2000, p.10). We investigate the magnitude of this effect. To do this, we employ forest and agricultural sector models to account for climate change-induced alterations in forest and agricultural productivity. With these changes imposed, we are able to empirically gauge the corresponding effects on the carbon sequestration both in the baseline and when climate mitigation incentives (carbon prices) are present. We find there is a significant baseline effect and that there are substantial positive synergies between climate change induced carbon sequestration rate alterations and carbon sequestration responses to economic incentives.
	Link to paper:	Not available

	Session / Day / Time	10B / Wednesday / 10:15 - 11:45 am

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