Sustainability Metrics: Carbon Accounting

Welcome to "Sustainability Metrics: Carbon Accounting", a course providing an advanced examination of the critical intersection between forest management, regulatory policy, and carbon accounting within Western Canada. As global focus on climate change mitigation intensifies, understanding the role of forests as carbon sinks and sources becomes paramount.

This course dives deep into how the forests of British Columbia and Alberta are transitioning from vital carbon sinks to net carbon emission sources, influenced by large-scale natural disturbances and industrial practices. We will explore the technical gaps in current accounting frameworks, analyze the intricacies of LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry) under IPCC guidelines, and scrutinize provincial regulatory realities against international sustainability standards.

Key learning outcomes include:

• Understanding the global carbon cycle and the significance of forests as terrestrial carbon sinks.
• Examining the technical concepts of LULUCF and IPCC biogenic emission accounting.
• Analyzing localized challenges in Western Canadian forestry, including the often-underreported carbon emissions from slash pile burning.
• Dissecting national and international regulatory frameworks such as UNFCCC obligations and Canada’s National Inventory Report (NIR).
• Evaluating how policies like Alberta’s Forests Act and BC’s Forest and Range Practices Act influence carbon management and waste prioritization.
• Exploring viable economic solutions and mitigation strategies, including the bioeconomy model of Finland and Sweden, and innovative wood products like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT).

By the end of this course, you will possess a comprehensive technical understanding of forest carbon dynamics in Western Canada, equipped to identify opportunities for regulatory reform and market incentives that can transform the forestry sector into a robust component of climate change mitigation strategies.