Forest Carbon Sequestration: State of Technology and Implementation

U.S. forests currently offset about 15% of emissions of CO2 from fossil fuels. This baseline rate could be doubled or more with current technology, through activities including avoided deforestation, afforestation, improved forest management, and substitution of wood for other materials. Innovations in forestry technology may also boost the rate of offset; however, availability of technology is a necessary but insufficient condition to realize the full potential of forests. Forests are vulnerable to natural disturbances that seem to be rising with increasing temperatures. Markets or other incentives are necessary to induce forest managers to take action. Accounting and reporting systems for forestry tend to be overly complex and inconsistent. And finally, forest land owners are a diverse and dispersed group with many different reasons for owning their forests. Despite these barriers, there is widespread interest in increasing forest carbon sequestration, in part because this goal can be compatible with achieving other objectives. Understanding and working with co-benefits is an important tactic for increasing carbon sequestration in forests and wood products.