CARBON SEQUESTRATION: MANNERS SUITABLE FOR CARBON TRADE IN CHINA AND FUNCTION OF TERRESTRIAL VEGETATION

Abstract

The Kyoto Protocol provides three mechanisms that would allow transfers or crediting of emission reductions achieved in other countries. Reductions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission are attained at the lowest possible cost, with equal benefit to the environment. Developing countries can benefit from the investment of funds available for project development, gain new emission_reduction technology, and earn a profit by selling their emission reductions credit. The core issue of carbon trade is whether there is enough carbon sequestration credit for trading after offsetting the CO_2 emission. This paper compared and synthesized most of the potential and existing manners of CO_2 emission reduction and carbon sequestration in current aspects of techniques, cost_effective, effect on the carbon sink of ecosystem and other aspects. Large_scale biogas cogeneration or co_firing in coal power stations with cost_effective and energy_saving measures can reach better emission_reduction benefit and carbon sequestration efficiency. The process of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystem, which can remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in biomass and soil, is most safety and efficiency, with no expense of CO_2 separation and purification as well. Not only forest ecosystem possesses one of the most reliable carbon sequestration processes, but also the large_scale grassland soil and farmland soil do have. As a result, some projects related to CO_2 emission reduction and carbon sequestration, such as establishing natural forest and grassland reserves, planting high_yield woodland, setting up artificial pasture with high productivity and stable yield, adopting way of eco_agriculture, remaining more straw in the field, making the best use of marginal land to grow bio_energy,promoting the exploitation of bio_energy and other projects, which are cost_efficient and suitable for China, should be conducted to enforce and increase carbon sequestration of terrestrial ecosystem in accordance with their respective characters.