IAMconsortium
Gross CO2 removals missing in emission variables
There are variables for gross CO2 emission and carbon dioxide removal but gross CO2 removals are currently missing in emission variables. I discussed with @merfort that it would be of high value to add gross CO2 removals including sub-categories espcially for AFOLU. This would allow to analyze how gross CO2 emissions and gross CO2 removals add-up to net CO2 emissions. With the CDR variables this is not possible for two reasons:
- not all negative CO2 emissions are considered as CDR, e.g. regrowth of vegetation on abandoned land or regrowth of timber plantations for wood production
- the CDR variables are defined as positive
@jkikstra @IAMconsortium/common-definitions-emissions @IAMconsortium/common-definitions-land What do you think about this proposal?
Releated to #222
Agree! We prioritized net removals for the first step, but I think it would be valuable to disaggregate those into net removals and remaining emissions associated with CDR technologies. We should probably discuss the concrete structure, and also clear definitions to avoid confusion as to where emissions should be reported.
Reviving this thread as I noticed that there is a potential ambiguity in the definitions for Gross Emissions|CO2|AFOLU and Gross Removals|CO2|AFOLU.
Gross Emissions|CO2|AFOLU correctly provides biochar as an example not to be included under this variable, as it clearly is a negative emission. However, Gross Removals|CO2|AFOLU does not explicitly indicate that biochar should be included. Presumably it should, as it would include intentional removals (i.e., Carbon Removal|Land Use, which in turn includes Carbon Removal|Land Use|Biochar). However, this could cause issues for models which, like GCAM, model biochar and its biomass feedstock as part of the energy system. Since Gross Emissions|CO2|AFOLU - Gross Removals|CO2|AFOLU should equal Emissions|CO2|AFOLU (net AFOLU emissions), including biochar or other soil carbon enhancement pathways under Gross Removals could risk either violating this equality or causing distortions in reported Gross Emissions.
