COST-EFFECTIVE CARBON Colin Price School of the Environment and Natural Resources Bangor University

SOME PRICES FOR CARBON: Note: these prices were compiled from a wide range of sources in 1993, and can probably be more or less doubled now.

CO 2

[Difference in mean annual net cost] [Difference in mean carbon stock]

In an investment context, the break-even price of carbon fixing is given by:

Photo: John Tay

Source: Healey, Price & Tay (2000)

Sitka spruce YC 12: 80 tonnes for nothing! Sitka spruce YC 12: commercial versus “unmanaged” [Mean annual net cost] =£200 ÷ [Difference of mean carbon]?250 – 80 tonnes =£1.17 per tonne per year

Somewhat longer rotations:  give greater mean growing stock storage  produce a greater proportion of slow- decaying products  entail only slightly reduced net annual income, so …  represent cheap extra carbon

Single-tree continuous cover forestry: worst case (harvesting penalty = £5 / m3 ; dysgenic effect = –20%) [Mean net cost per year = £230] ÷ (65 – 53) tonnes = £19 per tonne per year

The material of the moment… Painted concrete Photo: University of Wales

In an investment context, the break-even price of carbon fixing is given by:

THREE WAYS OF USING TREES TO REDUCE NET CARBON EMISSIONSDiscount rate Fix fossil fuel emissions, then use the product £165 £87 as biomass fuel

THREE WAYS OF USING TREES TO REDUCE NET CARBON EMISSIONSDiscount rate Fix fossil fuel emissions, then use the product £330 £174 as biomass fuel

Newport, C12 th replaced 1913?

Llandaff,c.1170 (replaced?)

Bangor, 1350?

St Asaph, C15 th

Brecon, C15 th

St Davids, C16 th

CO 2

Price of flux approach: grow-and-utilise-structurally Note: add 10% to allow for carbon emissions in harvesting Discount rateWithout steelWith steelreplacement 6% £172 £34 3.5%£85£17 2%£31£6.5 1%FREE!FREE!

Even at a 6% discount rate: Douglas fir yield class 20 cost of carbon = £25 / tonne without steel replacement; or £5 / tonne with steel replacement