Carbon sequestration credits are a specialized type of carbon credit generated from projects that actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere and securely store it. These credits are pivotal in combating climate change by ensuring long-term carbon storage.
Key Examples
Reforestation and Afforestation
Reforestation: Involves planting trees in previously forested areas that have been cleared.
Afforestation: Involves planting trees in areas that were not previously forested.
Mechanism: Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, storing it as carbon in biomass (trunks, branches, leaves, and roots) and soil.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Process: Involves capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources or directly from the air, transporting it, and storing it underground in geological formations.
Mechanism: The captured CO2 is injected into underground rock formations, such as depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers, where it is securely stored and prevented from re-entering the atmosphere.
Benefits of Carbon Sequestration Credits
Long-Term Storage: Provides a mechanism for long-term or even permanent removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Enhances Biodiversity: Reforestation projects can restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Soil Health: Practices like afforestation and certain agricultural methods can improve soil health and fertility.
Climate Resilience: Forests and healthy soils can improve resilience against climate impacts such as flooding and erosion.
Challenges and Considerations
Permanence: Ensuring that the stored carbon remains sequestered for a long time, such as protecting forests from deforestation or preventing leaks in CCS sites.
Verification: Accurately measuring and verifying the amount of CO2 sequestered can be complex and requires rigorous monitoring and reporting.
Cost: Some sequestration projects, especially CCS, can be expensive and technologically challenging.
Social and Environmental Impacts: Reforestation and afforestation projects need careful management to avoid negative impacts on local communities and ecosystems.
Carbon sequestration credits can play a crucial role in global efforts to mitigate climate change by addressing these challenges and leveraging the benefits.
