Ex-ante greenhouse gas balance of agriculture and forestry development programs

Abstract

EX-ACT (EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool) is a tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It provides ex-ante measurements of the mitigation impact of agriculture and forestry development projects, estimating net C balance from GHG emissions and Carbon (C) sequestration. EX-ACT is a land-based accounting system, measuring C stocks, stock changes per unit of land, and CH 4 and N 2 O emissions expressed in t CO 2 -eq per hectare and year. The main output of the tool is an estimation of the C-balance associated with the adoption of improved land management options, as compared with a "business as usual" scenario. EX-ACT has been developed using primarily the IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, complemented by other existing methodologies and reviews of default coefficients. Default values for mitigation options in the agriculture sector are mostly from the 4 th Assessment Report of IPCC (2007). Thus, EX-ACT allows for the carbon-balance appraisal of new investment programmes by ensuring an appropriate method available for donors and planning officers, project designers, and decision makers within agriculture and forestry sectors in developing countries. The tool can also help to identify the mitigation impacts of various investment project options, and thus provide an additional criterion for consideration in project selection.

Greenhouse gas mitigation options in Brazil for land-use change, livestock and agriculture

“…The second approach was based on EX-ante Appraisal Carbon-balance Tools (EX-ACT, Bernoux et al, 2010). EX-ACT is a tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to provide ex-ante measurements of the impact of agriculture and forestry development projects on GHG emissions and Carbon (C) sequestration, indicating their effects on the C balance.…”

“…Figure 2 illustrates the observed emissions till 2009 and the patterns of the two different BAU options and the mitigation scenarios. EX-ACT (Bernoux et al, 2010) calculations were performed on the BAU-NPCC option compared to Mitigation Committed scenario. In first step, default values and categories proposed by EX-ACT were used according to the ecological zones.…”

“…In terms of mean annual additional mitigation when in comparison to BAU, the Plantation-High scenario corresponds to a potential of 100 Mt CO 2 -eq yr -1 , whereas the scenario proposed by the Brazilian government only 5.2 Mt CO 2 -eq yr -1 , becoming obviously more effective to C sequestration. EX-ACT (Bernoux et al, 2010) calculations were performed on the Plantation-High and Plantation-NPCC options and compared to the Plantation-BAU scenario. Eucalyptus and pine plantations were both considered as "subtropical dry forest" plantation type implemented on degraded land.…”

“…Concerning the adoption of technical mitigation strategies, the three alternatives considered in EX-ACT (Bernoux et al, 2010) were compared (named respectively options A, B and C), i.e. improved feeding practices, use of specific agents or dietary additives, and longer term management changes and animal breeding.…”

Environmental Bio Economic Impact in Nicaragua

“…EX-ACT Carbon-balance Tool (carbon balance tool) is a tool developed by the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) that provides estimates of the reduction of the environmental impact of agricultural and forest projects, calculate balance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration using IPCC guidelines for National Inventories of greenhouse gases (Bernoux, Tinlot, Bockel, Branca, and Gentien, 2011). Additionally, EX-ACT is an accounting system that analyzes various project components as deforestation, forest degradation, changes in land use, emissions of greenhouse effect gases and calculates the equivalent emissions in tons of CH4, N2O and CO2 (in tCO2-eq/ha per year) and provides as output a balance of greenhouse gases emissions.…”