The Forests + Climate Learning Exchange Series (LES), co-hosted by the Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP) and the Society of American Foresters (SAF), invites academics, practitioners, policymakers, and other experts to present innovative and important research, projects, and strategies relating to forest carbon. The series aims to develop and expand forest stakeholder knowledge and perspectives on forest carbon science, management, and strategy.

Despite considerable debate regarding the degree to which market leakage has undermined the mitigation benefits associated with US forest carbon offsets, little has been done to evaluate what an appropriate value might be. This webinar explores results from two recent studies designed to meet that need. The first studies utilize a global model of timber markets to explore leakage across different levels of forest harvest deferral for a range of forest types and geographies. The second study focuses on the U.S. forest sector evaluating leakage differences in avoided emissions and removals within a voluntary offset market context. These studies provide a needed new look at levels of leakage and how methodology design might mitigate its effects.

Day and time: February 7, 2024, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)

Speaker

• Greg Latta Associate Professor of Forest Economics and Director of the Policy Analysis Group at the University of Idaho
  • Latta is a Research Associate Professor of Forest Economics and Director of the Policy Analysis Group at the University of Idaho. Dr. Latta’s research focuses on the application of economic optimization models for policy analysis, with extensive experience in the forestry, land use, bioenergy, and climate policy domains. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in forest resources from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in forest and resource economics from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He is coauthor on multiple forest carbon offset methodologies and one of the founders of the Forest Carbon Quantification Consortium of researchers focused on scientific analyses designed to inform offset methodologies being developed and applied across registries.
• Brent Sohngen, Professor, Ohio State University
  • Brent Sohngen is CFAES Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at Ohio State University. He teaches courses on energy economics and sustainability, and conducts research into the economics of energy and climate change, carbon markets, and global timber supply.

Registration

Registration for this session will remain open until the start of the webinar. To register, visit https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/learning-exchange-series-february-webinar.