Inwertsetzung der CO2-Senkenleistung des Waldes: Hindernisse und Möglichkeiten

Abstract

Forests with increasing standing volumes help to mitigate the impacts of climate change as they act as a carbon sink. Forest enterprises in Switzerland can generate value from the carbon sink service by selling corresponding CO2 certificates on the voluntary market. Up to now, few forest enterprises have taken advantage of this option. Possible reasons for this are presented in this article. The legal and political rules that may influence decisions by forest enterprises are examined with the help of the institutional resource regimes model. The findings are complemented and evaluated using expert interviews in forest enterprises and with political decision-makers. Many factors influence the valorisation of the carbon sink function of the forest. It is hindered, on the one hand, by the fact that use of the sink function competes with other functions of the forests, for instance the production of timber, and, on the other, by widespread scepticism and ignorance as well as high transaction costs. However, it is promoted by low standing volumes, good planning systems and by the existence of nature conservation reserves. To increase valorisation of the carbon sink function of the forest, it is recommended to 1) clarify the trade-offs and synergies between the functions, 2) develop rules (standards) for the voluntary carbon market in Switzerland and 3) make more information available to forest enterprises, so that they can better weigh up the risks and benefits of marketing the carbon sink value of the forest.