Beijing to build 4 towers to monitor carbon emission

Wang Xiaoping, director of Beijing Forestry Carbon Sequestration Work Office, announced that 50-meter-high carbon flux monitoring towers will be built in the South Central Axis Green Square located on the south side of Chang'an Avenue, Chongwen District. After they are built, citizens can learn about the regional carbon dioxide changes in real time. The project will be completed no later than August of this year.

Build 50-meter-high monitoring towers

On April 10, 2010, more than 60 members and personnel from the CPPCC went to plant trees at Badaling Carbon Sequestration Demonstration Forest. Wang Xiaoping, director of Beijing Forestry Carbon Sequestration Work Office, announced that Beijing will build an urban-rural integration forestry carbon sequestration monitoring system covering the entire city. Wang Xiaoping said, 33 fixed monitoring plots representing all forest types and species in Beijing will be selected in Beijing’s mountainous areas to monitor tree growth and changes in carbon dioxide emissions. Four carbon flux monitoring towers will be built in obvious areas. The tower in Daxing District has been built, and is 50 meters high. The tower in Badaling demonstration forest is already well on the way, and will be 15 meters high. The tower in Chongwen District, which is located in the South Central Axis Green Square in the south side of Chang'an Avenue, is planned to build 50 meters high, and will be completed no later than August of this year. Another monitoring tower will be placed in Tongzhou. By then, the public can learn about the changes in carbon dioxide levels in the region through the display on the tower.

Allocate 400 million yuan in compensation for carbon sequestration

Wang Xiaoping said that Beijing is developing the carbon sequestration measurement and verification standards system that is internationally recognized and is complete with Beijing characteristics; it is expected to be completed in June of this year. Then the carbon sequestration industry in Beijing will be able to meet three standards, that it is, measurable, verifiable and reportable. In addition, Beijing has started an eco-efficiency promotion and development mechanism taking put forest carbon sequestration as the breakthrough point. Beginning in 2010, the city government allocated 400 million yuan per year to compensate for carbon sequestration and for promoting the development of forest carbon sequestration.

Concern about the forest management

The Municipal CPPCC members called attention to the management of existing woodlands while also focusing on carbon sequestration afforestation. Beijing now requires planting an area of less than 40 acres, while the forest tending area that needs to be managed is 960 acres. In addition, the members collectively signed appeal to the general public concern carbon sequestration afforestation, promoting green travel, and constructing green Beijing.

Glossary

Carbon Sequestration generally refers to the process, activity and mechanism of removing carbon dioxide from the air. It mainly refers to the quantity of carbon dioxide that forests absorb and store, or the capacity of forests to absorb and store carbon dioxide.