Back To Global Enviroment
Workshop on CO2 Sequestration Schemes and Markets for Carbon Trading in US Agricultural and Energy Sectors
Washington, DC
November 20, 1998

A panel of scientists advising the United Nations has predicted the Earth's average surface temperature will rise 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century if emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, are not reduced. This, they predict, will cause shifts in climatic and agricultural zones, exacerbating both rainfall and drought.

"The onset of global climate change will require significant, and costly adjustments on the part of the agricultural community. A lack of preparation could have serious consequences for production, particularly in the case of extreme weather events. But if we can develop incentives for farmers and other landowners to help reduce levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, global warming could be a blessing rather than a curse for U.S. agriculture."

David Zilberman, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics 
Director, Center for Sustainable Resource Development 
University of California, Berkeley


On November 20, 1998 a workshop entitled "CO2 Sequestration Schemes and Markets for Carbon Trading in US Agricultural and Energy Sectors," will be held in Washington D.C.  Funded through a grant from the USEPA and with the support of the Farm Foundation, it is being organized by the University of California's Center for Sustainable Resource Development, located on the Berkeley campus.

The workshop, which is in follow-up to the May 28 workshop on global climate change (also funded by the USEPA and with support from the Farm Foundation), has two practical aims. First, it will discuss post-Kyoto carbon sequestration schemes, their design and operation, and how they might impact US agriculture and elements of the energy sector here. Second, the workshop seeks to explore the structure and mechanics of setting up markets for trading of carbon credits around and beyond the sequestration schemes, such as:

  • How practical is trading in carbon credits produced from or around carbon sequestration schemes? 
  • What can we learn from trading in environmental pollution permits? 
  • What should be the criteria for establishing sequestration schemes and markets? For example, should they focus on carbon alone or include other greenhouse gases? 
  • What about monitoring of the sequestration schemes? Can it be done with existing technology? What mechanisms (e.g., incentives) are there that can be applied to induce actual sequestration? 
  • What is the magnitude of the prices associated with markets for carbon trading? Who will benefit and who will lose from these markets? 
  • How important will global climate change be in the future of US agriculture, especially what is the importance to that sector of carbon sequestration schemes? 
  • What are the prospects with respect to legislation regarding US carbon sequestration schemes and markets?
Directed to a wide cross-section of the US agricultural sector, including participation from public utilities and others representing energy interests, the one-day workshop was held on Friday, November 20, 1998 at the Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street, N.W., Washington D.C

Workshop Publications - Publications resulting from this workshop are in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF)  Make sure you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader to read these files. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it at the Adobe website.

  1. Soil C Sink in U.S. Cropland

    2. by R. Lal and J.M. Kimble 
  2. Assessing the Economics of Carbon Sequestration In Agriculture

    3. by Luther Tweeten, Brent Sohngen, and Jeff Hopkins