Agreement on Domestic Sinks in the Kyoto Protocol (Bonn Agreement)

Overview draft sinks decision agreed to in July 2001 but not adopted, pending agreement on other issues (see draft decision at http://www.unfccc.int/resource/docs/cop6secpart/l11r01.pdf) decision expected to be adopted at COP7 the draft decision applies to the first commitment period only affirms a set of principles to govern sinks activities in context of Protocol establishes definitions and accounting rules lays out areas for future work and decisions

Definition of Forest based on FAO definition … is a minimum area of land of 0.05-1.0 hectares with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10-30 per cent with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2-5 metres at maturity in situ. A forest may consist either of closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground or open forest. Young natural stands and all plantations which have yet to reach a crown density of 10-30 per cent or tree height of 2-5 m are included under forest, as are areas normally forming part of the forest area which are temporarily unstocked as a result of human intervention such as harvesting or natural causes but which are expected to revert to forest. based on FAO definition countries choose their values for the three ranges

Definitions for Afforestation, Reforestation and Deforestation Afforestation (A) …is the direct human-induced conversion of land that has not been forested for a period of at least 50 years to forested land through planting, seeding and/or the human-induced promotion of natural seed sources. Reforestation (R) …is the direct human-induced conversion of non-forested land to forested land through planting, seeding and/or human-induced promotion of natural seed sources, on land that was forested but that has been converted to non-forest land. For the first commitment period, reforestation activities will be limited to reforestation occurring on those lands that did not contain forest on 31 December 1989. Deforestation (D) ...is the direct human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land

Definitions for Afforestation, Reforestation and Deforestation must interpret the definitions in conjunction with definition of forest A and R are both creation of new forest where none has existed for some time planting, seeding and human promotion of natural seed sources qualify there is an overlap in the definitions but accounting is identical for each so does not matter provided no double-counting D is the non-temporary removal of forest

Definitions for Forest and Agricultural Land Management Forest Management ...is a system of practices for stewardship and use of forest land aimed at fulfilling relevant ecological (including biological diversity), economic and social functions of the forest in a sustainable manner. Cropland Management ...is the system of practices on land on which agricultural crops are grown and on land that is set aside or temporarily not being used for crop production. Grazing Land Management ...is the system of practices on land used for livestock production aimed at manipulating the amount and type of vegetation and livestock produced. Revegetation ...is a direct human-induced activity to increase carbon stocks on sites through the establishment of vegetation that covers a minimum area of 0.05 hectares and does not meet the definitions of afforestation and reforestation contained here.

General Accounting Rules Countries will need to report how disturbance followed by re-establishment of forest is distinguished from deforestation account for carbon in above- and below-ground biomass, litter, dead wood, soil organic carbon account for non-CO2 emissions ensure that accounting on a given area begins with the start of the activity or beginning of the commitment period, whichever is later ensure that, once land enters the accounting system, it is accounted for in all future commitment periods

Additional Accounting Rules for ARD spatial assessment unit for deforestation must be no more than 1 ha debits from harvesting an area of AR land will be limited to size of any credit previously given for the AR activity on the area must be no double-counting of ARD sinks and sources with forest management sinks and sources

Additional Accounting Rules for Forest Management must show that the activity has occurred since 1990 and is human-induced each country decides whether it wants to include forest management in its accounting if included, then a forest management sink is credited in two ways in the first commitment period first, the sink is used to offset any net ARD source up to a cap of 8.2 Mt C/yr second, the remaining sink is credited up to a country specific cap credits from forest management projects in other industrialized countries (Joint Implementation) also included within this country-specific cap

Additional Accounting Rules for Agricultural Land Management must show that the activity has occurred since 1990 and is human-induced each country decides whether it wants to include agricultural land management in its accounting if included, then ‘net/net’ accounting is used annual sink/source in first commitment period less five times the sink/source in 1990