Development Pathways and Best Practice Insights for Carbon Inclusion of Small-Scale Seedling Carbon Sinks

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jlsa.202607302

Author(s)

Hao Zheng, BinbinWu, Feiyang Qin, Aman Xie, Lina Zhang*

Affiliation(s)

Southeast University Chengxian College, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

China has established a dual-layer carbon market system in which the national CCER operates in parallel with local carbon inclusion mechanisms, laying the institutional foundation for the value realization of agroforestry carbon sinks. However, traditional CCER mechanisms are characterized by high entry thresholds, lengthy accounting cycles, and substantial upfront costs, which are misaligned with the fragmented land parcels, rapid turnover, and dynamic carbon sink fluctuations inherent to the nursery industry, thereby excluding small-scale nurseries from carbon trading. This study selects four pilot programs—the Yixing Bamboo Forest Carbon Inclusion Initiative in Jiangsu, the Gaochun Agricultural Carbon Credit Scheme in Nanjing, the Carbon Sink Forestry Program in Guangdong, and the Lukou Carbon Sink Forest Project in Zhuzhou—and examines the market-oriented pathways for small-scale nursery carbon sinks from six dimensions: institutional standards, local regulatory oversight, aggregation of scattered resources, lightweight MRV monitoring, market absorption, and revenue operations. The findings indicate that leveraging the lightweight advantages of local carbon inclusion mechanisms—through the establishment of a dedicated carbon sink accounting system, the integration of fragmented resources, the adoption of annual sampling combined with remote sensing for monitoring, the expansion of carbon sink absorption channels, and the construction of a tiered revenue feedback mechanism—can effectively address challenges such as inadequate measurement adaptability, uneconomical project development, and limited trading channels. This paper ultimately develops a full-process framework encompassing project development, operations management, and revenue distribution, providing a practical reference for the nationwide implementation of small-scale nursery carbon inclusion projects.

Keywords

Seedling Carbon Sink; Carbon Inclusion; Small-Scale Agroforestry; MRV Monitoring

References

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