For this reason the CDM Executive Board, in its 39th meeting, decided bamboos to be equivalent to trees in the context of afforestation and reforestation ( UNFCCC, 2008). In this context, a significant role can be played by bamboo forests indeed, although strictly botanically bamboo is considered as a woody grass, and not a tree, the role of bamboo forests in the carbon cycle is broadly comparable with that of other types of forests. Overall, voluntary credits representing 104 mtCO 2e were traded in 2019 amounting to a cumulative market value of 320 million USD ( Kreibich and Hermwille, 2021). One VER corresponds to one metric ton of CO 2 equivalent emissions (mtCO 2e). Among the different types of carbon credits envisaged by the voluntary market, there are VERs (Verified Emission Reduction) deriving from non-CDM-projects ( UNFCCC, 2014 Lang et al., 2019). The Kyoto Protocol introduced the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which consists of the purchase by industrialized countries (Annex-I) of carbon credits sold by developing countries (non-Annex-1), and generated from GHG projects based on afforestation and reforestation ( Lefebvre et al., 2021). Carbon offsetting involves the acquisition of carbon credits from certified GHG projects to compensate the equivalent of one ton of carbon dioxide emitted in a specific area. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, along with the sustainable management of forests (REDD+), is an international framework to encourage voluntary efforts for GHG emissions reduction ( Streck 2020). The challenge of climate change requires simultaneous action of mitigation, adaptation and development (MAD), where the afforestation projects may supply a crucial contribution, thanks to the multiple service that forests are able to provide, such as carbon sequestration, timber provision and income generation ( UNFCCC, 2007). In Italy, more than 335 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions have been reported only for 2019 ( Global Carbon Project, 2021). The atmospheric CO 2 concentration has exceeded 30% increase in the past 60 years ( Le Quéré et al., 2018).
#Bamboo moso series#
The evidence of a strong correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and the increasing global temperature makes urgent to stabilize the levels of CO 2, and in general of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG), through a series of contrasting strategies. There is a growing commitment of governments and international policies in search of containment solutions to limit the serious consequences of global warming, such as the rising ocean water temperatures, the increasing sea levels and the melting of glaciers ( IPCC, 2019).
Our findings represent a valid model to encourage the voluntary carbon market in Italy from afforestation with bamboo species.Ĭlimate change and its strong connection with anthropic greenhouse effect and global warming is considered one of the most significant global emergencies and it is no longer a topic of exclusive scientific interest. The study demonstrated the eligibility requirements for a GHG project and the suitability of moso bamboo farming finalized to carbon trading. The highest segregation power of the bamboo plantation equated 28.447 tCO 2e yr −1, segregated by the whole field in the 13th year (out of a total timeframe of 16 years). This allowed to evaluate if the bamboo afforestation projects are capable to offset carbon dioxide emissions in the Italian context. The study aimed to correlate the growth and thickening trend of moso bamboo field, namely its CO 2 capturing potential, with the geopedoclimatic context.
The computational model, based on allometric parameters and field density, was integrated with an accurate analysis of the geological, pedological and climatic scenario, and of the socio-economic context. In order to evaluate CO 2 capturing potential, a computational study was developed and applied to the bamboo field to predict and quantify the tons of CO 2 equivalent annually sequestered, during a project range of 16 years.
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