Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Duke Forest Carbon

Thumbnail
View / Download
4.1 Mb
Date
2011-12-09
Authors
Downing, Eric
Fulton, Erin
Strauss, Joshua
Advisors
Richter, Daniel D.
Swenson, Jennifer Jane
Repository Usage Stats
648
views
6,465
downloads
Abstract
Duke University is dedicated to achieving climate neutrality by 2024. With over 7000 acres of sustainably managed forest land, the Duke Forest has great potential for generating “in house” carbon offsets to help reach this goal. In this project we quantified the carbon represented in Duke’s forest holdings and analyzed the potential for generating emissions-reducing offsets based on Climate Action Reserve (CAR) and American Carbon Registry (ACR) protocols. Throughout the process we focused on three varieties of forest offsets: Avoided Conversion, Improved Forest Management, and Afforestation/Reforestation, comparing the relative advantages and disadvantages of each under CAR and ACR carbon accounting systems. After completing these carbon calculations we conducted a financial analysis of our results in order to make recommendations to the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative concerning how they might apply these forest offsets toward the university’s carbon neutrality goal. Ultimately we concluded that the Duke Forest has the potential to produce significant amounts of high quality carbon offsets at a cost considerably below that of purchasing them on the voluntary market. The generation of Improved Forest Management offsets under CAR protocols proved particularly compatible with current Duke Forest management practices, yielding substantial carbon and financial benefits with minimal project development investment. Based on the results of our carbon and financial models we determined that the Duke Forest could generate 358,109 offset credits over the next 50 years, saving the university over $1.5 million.
Type
Master's project
Department
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Subject
forest
carbon
offsets
Climate Action Reserve
American Carbon Registry
climate change
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4949
Citation
Downing, Eric; Fulton, Erin; & Strauss, Joshua (2011). Duke Forest Carbon. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4949.
Collections
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
More Info
Show full item record
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University