Publications by Christopher Galik

What Makes Carbon Work? A Sensitivity Analysis of Factors Affecting Forest Offset Viability

March 2012 - by Christopher S. Galik and David M. Cooley

Early implementation experience and a handful of empirical analyses in the literature indicate that the supply of forest carbon offsets may be constrained by, among other factors, transaction costs, access to markets, and carbon accounting rules and regulations. To more fully explore this issue, we use a forest growth and carbon accounting model to assess the relative influence of several key accounting, financial, and market variables on forest carbon offset project viability. We find that project performance, indicated by sequestration rate and project profitability, varies widely across the three project/forest type combinations evaluated here. The effects of carbon price and project length vary in both magnitude and direction from project to project. Project accounting considerations, including baseline establishment method and deductions for “leakage” and other factors, tend to figure prominently in each project, but vary in their absolute effect. These initial results suggest that choice of accounting protocol is a critical decision facing landowners considering forest offset projects. Results also suggest that a one-size-fits-all accounting approach may fail to maximize either landowner participation or the representation of forest types or management systems.

The Effect of Assessment Scale and Metric Selection on the Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Woody Biomass

February 2012 - by Christopher S. Galik and Robert C. Abt

Recent media attention has focused on the net greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of using woody biomass to produce energy. In particular, a great deal of controversy has erupted over the biomass accounting techniques used to evaluate these GHG effects. This paper informs the present debate over the GHG effects of woody biomass use by conducting a comparative analysis of these accounting techniques. It compares these techniques in a hypothetical scenario in which coal-fired power plants in Virginia add woody biomass to their fuel mix—a process known as “cofiring.” It finds that these techniques strongly influence the calculated GHG balance. The paper also assesses the relative effect of the accounting approach on differences in GHG balance, and concludes with implications for policy makers.

An Interactive Assessment of Biomass Demand and Availability in the Southeastern United States

March 2011 - by Christopher S. Galik and Robert C. Abt

The following report evaluates the implications of biomass use at multiple levels of demand and under various policy scenarios across the southeastern United States. It represents the culmination of a four month joint research effort between North Carolina State University, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, and Environmental Defense Fund. It provides background on the methodology used to conduct the analysis, as well as an overview of an associated Biomass Demand Interface Tool that can be used to view the results. Collectively, these allow for the simultaneous evaluation of dozens of demand scenarios on multiple metrics of concern, thus providing the beginnings of a comprehensive overview of the range of impacts that increasing demand for forest biomass may have in a given state or region.

Demand for REDD Carbon Credits: A Primer on Buyers, Markets, and Factors Impacting Prices

February 2011 - by Joshua D. Schneck, Brian C. Murray, Christopher S. Galik, and W. Aaron Jenkins

This paper provides an overview of the demand for forest carbon, including potential buyers and their objectives, markets for forest carbon, and forces that affect the price of forest carbon. It is intended for parties and organizations who are considering developing forest carbon projects, as an aid to understanding the changing market and demand for forest carbon credits. While the primary focus of the paper is on markets and demand for REDD credits—credits arising from projects that reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation—much of the information is applicable to afforestation and reforestation projects, as well as improved forest management.

The Potential Role for Management of Public Lands in Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Climate Policy

August 2010 - by Lydia Olander, David Cooley, Christopher Galik

Public lands, including federal and state lands, offer significant opportunities for increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation from the management and restoration of forests, rangelands, and wetlands. This paper provides a rough estimate of the potential mitigation opportunities from public lands, including near-term sequestration generated from an elimination of timber harvests in public forests and improving management of some rangelands. It also presents policy options that decision makers and land managers can pursue to increase mitigation on public lands. This is a revised version of a paper that was published in July 2010.

The Near-Term Market and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Forest Biomass Utilization in the Southeastern United States

August 2010 - by Robert C. Abt, Christopher S. Galik, and Jesse D. Henderson

The Role of Public Lands in a Low-Carbon Economy

March 2010 - by Christopher S. Galik, Joseph L. Grinnell, David M. Cooley

Transaction Costs and Forest Management Carbon Offset Potential

July 2009 - by Christopher S. Galik, Justin S. Baker and Joseph L. Grinnell

Policy Options for the Conservation Reserve Program in a Low-Carbon Economy

June 2009 - by Justin S. Baker and Christopher S. Galik

Risks to Forest Carbon Offset Projects in a Changing Climate

May 2009 - by Christopher Galik and Robert Jackson

A Virtual “Field Test” of Forest Management Carbon Offset Protocols: The Influence of Accounting

March 2009 - by Christopher Galik, Megan Mobley and Daniel Richter

Forest Biomass Supply in the Southeastern United States - Implications for Industrial Roundwood and Bioenergy Production

March 2009 - by Christopher S. Galik, Robert C. Abt and Yun Wu

A Critical Comparison and Virtual "Field Test" of Forest Management Carbon Offset Protocols

October 2008 - by Christopher S. Galik, Daniel deB. Richter, Megan L. Mobley, Lydia P. Olander, Brian C. Murray

A paper by the Climate Change Policy Partnership comparing seven existing forest management offset protocols