IEA Bioenergy T45 WS on temporary carbon storage Nov 30 & Dec 7 2023
Task 45 organized an online workshop on temporary carbon storage. The purpose of the workshop was to share knowledge and discuss issues related to the temporary storage of carbon, such as in long-lived wood products, through bioenergy systems with carbon capture and utilization, and through reforestation, where the carbon is vulnerable to future reversal.
The workshop comprised two sessions. In the first session (30 November) scientific considerations around temporary C storage related to timing of emissions and removals were discussed, including issues such as how the climate effects of temporary carbon storage can be quantified and under what circumstances (e.g., duration of carbon storage, timing with respect to global peak warming and long-term equilibrium temperature) temporary storage provides climate benefits.
The second session (December 7) considered approaches to recognising temporary C storage in climate policy, GHG inventory and emission trading. The workshop participants discussed pros and cons of alternative approaches to recognising temporary carbon storage in corporate inventory and project accounting, and they identified arguments for and against allowing temporary carbon storage as an offset to fossil CO2 emissions.
Workshop presentations are found below, and a summary report will be published in early 2024.
Session 1: Climate effects of temporary removals
- Andy Reisinger: Temperature responses to temporary CO2 removals of different duration
- Göran Berndes: Relevance of temporary changes in C storage to bioenergy systems
- Damon Matthews: Cumulative emissions, the global carbon budget and relevance to temporary C storage
- Eric Marland: Temporary Carbon Storage in the Global Carbon Budget
Session 2: Recognising temporary C storage in climate policy, GHG inventories and emissions trading
