6. Key Point Summary
This paper has raised a number of key points, which can be summarised as follows:
- There appears to be confusion around whether HWP’s are a sink or reservoir. The UNFCCC provides useful definitions noting that a sink is any process, activity or mechanism which removes a GHG, an aerosol or a precursor to a GHG from the atmosphere, whereas a reservoir means a component or components of the climate system where a greenhouse gas is stored.
- The submissions did not identify any consensus between countries on which approach to HWP accounting should be adopted. Therefore it would be useful to look at alternative to the current options of the IPCC default and the three Dakar approaches.
- It is unlikely that HWP will be accounted for in the first commitment period (although Parties may report on HWP in their inventories).
- Several submissions considered the need for HWP accounting to be kept as simple as possible.
- The environment for HWP accounting may occur, but could be different in future periods, depending on the outcome of negotiations. Therefore it may be useful to develop a matrix of principles within which to consider and assess the options for HWP accounting. Some principles to consider could be around issues of: stocks and flows; timing and location; attribution and allocation; data systems; consistency and compatibility; environmental integrity; sustainable forest management; trade; etc.
- There are two issue related to wood products. The first is the timing of emissions from harvested wood to be consistent with other biomass fractions affected by Kyoto Protocol activities. The second relates to the treatment of the wood products pool and if and how there should be recognition of delaying emissions by extending product life or increasing products stocks.
- This paper develops an alternative approach, the Simple Decay Approach, for consideration. It requires less data, is applicable at national and project scale, and should be simpler to implement than the Dakar approaches. There may be other approaches or variations to existing approaches that could be developed.
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Policy Analyst - Forestry
Innovation and Research
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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