Is Carbon Sequestration Feasible in the Philippines?

A study explores the potential of the Philippines to engage in carbon sequestration projects to mitigate climate change. Done in 2005, the study sees the Philippines, with its tropical forests, fallow areas, and vast areas of degraded land, as having the potential for carbon sequestration through reforestation and rehabilitation.

The study cites two carbon sink projects, the Laguna Lake Development Authority – Tanay and Conservation International Philippines.  

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) sells carbon sequestered through the Municipality of Tanay and the LLDA. The farmers from the Tanay watershed implemented the project from 2004 to 2014. were the implementors of the project.

The project promises to capture and sequester 3,204tC in a high scenario and 1,424tC under a low scenario, with corresponding values of US$70,54 and US$31,380, respectively.

The Conservation International Philippines, through reforestation activities, expects to sequester a total of 512,000tC for 30 years.

The environmental services of these forests in mitigating climate change include the following:

• First, the conservation of existing carbon stock by protecting forest reserves.
• Second, carbon stocks will expand through increased carbon sequestration through the widening of the forest area and increased storage in durable wood products.
• Third, the substitution of wood products for fossil-based products.

For example, instead of cement-based products and other construction materials that are fossil-fuel intensive, construction materials and biofuels from forest timbers and trees can be a climate-friendly option.

Carbon sequestration activities have brought added services and benefits to the community as well. Through it, private lands were reforested, which were otherwise bare.

The establishment of agroforestry farms in public lands has allowed the community to grow and harvest their crops, giving them a source of livelihood and reducing their reliance on forest projects like logging and slash-and-burn farming, which contribute to deforestation and land degradation. Forestation has also provided protection for soil erosion, especially along the river banks.

Reforestation projects are community-based and involve the community, local non-government organisations (NGOs), the local government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the project’s monitoring team, and the funding organisation.

The World Bank, through its carbon fund, BioCarbon Fund, was the only buyer of emissions reductions from both carbon sink projects at the time of the study.

The details of the carbon compensation mechanism are still being worked out. Answers to questions like how the carbon income will be divided among stakeholders and farmers and what projects will be financed from this income are still being ironed out.

The study concluded that there is great potential for carbon sequestration projects in the Philippines. It cited the millions of hectares in the uplands that pose an ecological and economic threat if forest cover is not restored.

The main challenge is a lack of clear signal from the Philippine government whether carbon sink projects are welcome in the country. Moreover, there is a perception that carbon sink projects are not welcome, according to the study. Neighbouring countries like China and Indonesia, on the other hand, are already starting their groundwork for carbon sequestration projects. If the Philippines is to take advantage of the carbon market, it is important for the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACCC) to resolve this issue, the study states (Lasco et al., 2005).

The Asian Development Bank report on Emission Trading Schemes in Asia and the Pacific in 2016 lists the countries in the Asia Pacific with existing and emerging emission trading systems. The Philippines is not on the list, which means that it does not yet have a carbon emissions trading system in place as of the study’s date (Emissions Trading Schemes, 2016).

On 12 January 2017, the Philippines and Japan signed an agreement to establish a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). Under this mechanism, Japan will implement various projects that will reduce its GHG emissions in the Philippines using its low-carbon technology (Japan and the Philippines, 2017).

It is good to know that a study on the potential of establishing carbon sequestration projects in the Philippines has been done. Carbon sequestration projects have impacts on the environment and economy of host countries.

It can enhance the climate adaptation strategies of countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change, like the Philippines.

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