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Management & Engineering 03 (2011) 1838-5745
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Management & Engineering
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Forestry Actions to Tackle Climate Change and Its Impact on
Carbon Emission and Employment Creation in China
Shuifa Ke1, 2,, Chenguang Pan2
1. College of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University 100083, P.R.China
2. Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 100732, P.R.China
KEYWORDS
China,
Climate change,
Forestry actions,
Carbon Emission,
Employment,
Impact
ABSTRACT
Currently, climate change, sustainable development and employment problems have been
the focus of world attention. This paper focuses on the forestry actions to climate change
and its impact on employment in China on the basis of the qualitative analysis and case
study. Firstly, it introduces the relationship between Low carbon development and
employment; and it elaborates the main forestry actions framework to tackle climate
change in China, i.e. Forestry carbon sinks, Forestry carbon sequestration and Forestry
carbon substitution; it further introduces the main forestry practices, i.e. the
implementation of forestry key project, carbon forestry and energy forestry; then analyzes
the impact of forestry key actions on the employment and takes three Carbon pilot
projects as cases study; Finally, it draws some conclusions and policy implications.
Research results show that China’s forestry actions made positive contributions to tackle
climate change through forestry carbon sinks, sequestration and substitution; it also
produced positive influence on employment. Therefore, under the double pressures of
global climate change and economics recession, it has important strategic significance in
growing investment in forestry, vigorously increasing the capacity of forest carbon-sink
and promoting forestry green employment.
© ST. PLUM-BLOSSOM PRESS PTY LTD
1 Introduction
1.1 Low carbon development and employment
The low carbon development mode under the background of climate change is catching more and more attention of the world. As we
known, the forest is the main terrestrial ecosystem, is the largest carbon storage. The pressure from climate change can be a driving
force for the forestry development.
The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented

Corresponding author .
Email: [email protected]
English edition copyright © ST. PLUM-BLOSSOM PRESS PTY LTD
DOI:10.5503/J.ME.2011.03.016
91
information and evidence for climate change. AR4 also pointed out that opportunity costs would be reduced if earlier action is taken
in mitigating the risks of global warming. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (Stern Nicholas 2007), which
issued by UK Government in October 2006, warned that cost of inaction for climate change would be between 5% and 20% of GDP
per year. The Stern Review also points to the need for a transformative increase in the scale of international finance flows for a low
carbon economy.
Low carbon development will have a prominent impact on global employment. As we know, major measures to tackle climate
change include adaptation and mitigation. Low carbon development is mainly focused on policies and measures for mitigation,
including prioritizing economic structure, deploying of low carbon technology, improving energy efficiency, etc. Low carbon
development is a development path which realizes a low carbon economy through a de-carbonization process, aiming at sustainable
development as well as tackling climate change. In the process of de-carbonization, employment would be effected in numbers and
structure accompanied by changes in industrial impacts caused by low carbon policies as the phasing out of less efficiency equipment
is paired with new technologies.
China has paid more attention to low carbon development. Considering the policy would have a potential impact on China’s
employment in different sectors, the research will focus on the relationship between forestry actions and employment promotion in
China.
1.2 Related studies on forestry and employment
Studies on forest carbon sinks could date back to the mid- and late-1960s (such as the International Conference on the Unity of the
Sciences, International Biological Program1), when international researchers in the realm of natural science developed their initial
ideas on the subject. Since the 1990s, in response to the call of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol (KP) for great efforts to combat climate change, forestry for carbon-sink purposes has become an
integral part of the Clean Development Mechanism, and has received increasing attention in the international community.
The forestry actions in china have an inevitable effect on the forestry employment. Three are some experts such as Fang Jingyun
(1996), Pan Jiahua (2001), Wei Diansheng (2003), Li Shunlong(2005), Zhang Shengdong(005), Li Nuyun(2007), Lin Delong(2005),
Zhang Kun(2007), did some research on the climate change and forestry actions. On the other hand, Another some experts such as
Pan Chenguan(1999), Wang Zhixin(1999), Feng Jiaping (2002), Wu Youliang (2002), Lou Dianjie (2005), Wei Xiaohui (2005), Yang
Suhua (2007),who already did some study on forestry employment.
Currently, researchers in other countries have focused their work primarily on topics such as the relation between forestry and climate
change, climate change and carbon-sink forestry, the impact of climate change on forests and ecosystems, and research on forest
carbon sinks capacity (Roger et al. 1997, Rodel et al. 1998, Olschewski, Beitez 2005, Olschewski et al.2005, De Koning et al.2005,
Peter et al.2007, Charlotte Streck et al.2008, Olschewski Beitez 2009).
The literatures review showed that not much research has been published on employment under the background of climate change
and low-carbon development in China. As global warming and the global financial crisis since last year, conducting research to
reveal the correlation between carbon-sink forestry and employment becomes all the more imperative. On the other hand,
achievements made by previous studies on carbon-sink and the employment in forestry also laid a solid foundation for future work.
1.3 Research methods and information sources
Our research adopts qualitative analysis and case study based on the literature and historical data.The sources of data and material are
mainly forestry statistic yearbooks, forestry development reports, related forestry websites, etc. Meanwhile, some ideas in this paper
are from interviews with relevant departments of the National Forestry Administration, such as the Aforestation Department, Budget
Department, Personnel Department, Forestation Committee, General Office of Forestry Work Administration, Propaganda Office of
Forestry Bureau, and some Forest Major Project Management Office.
2 Main Policy Framework of Forestry Actions to Tackle Climate Change
There are three main ways for forestry to deal with climate change: carbon sinks., carbon storage and carbon substitution (see Figure
1). Since 1980s, forest planting has achieved great success with the implementation of national key Forestry Ecological Programme.
“The National Climate Change Programme”(2007),points out that the cumulative net sequestration of China’s Afforestation is 3.06
billion tons of carbon dioxide, 1.62 billion tons carbon emission reduction from forestry management, 0.43 billion tons by reducing
forestry destroy.
1
The Iinternational Biological Program was organized under the leadership of C. H. Waddington beginning in 1962 and officially started in 1964,
with the goal of exploring "The Biological Basis of Productivity and Human Welfare". This was considered as the beginning of the study on the
carbon sink of the Terrestrial ecosystems.
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Afforestation
Afforestation for forestry key
programs
low
Forestry
carbon
sinks
production
forest improvement
Afforestation for carbon sinks
projects
Agro-forestry
Urban
Afforestation
and
system
greening
Main
Sustainable
forest
management
Other afforestation activity
policy
Reducing
Deforestation
framework
and
disafforestation
Forest ecological system
protection
Protecting
for
Wetland protection
ecological system
Improving
forestry
Forestry
carbon
to
storage
wood
Other protection activities
cutting process
Enhancing
wood
utilization efficiency
tackle
Controlling
forest
diseases and pests
climate
Industry substitution
change
Forestry
carbon
Raw materials
substitution
substitution
Energy cropping &
substitution
Figure1 Framework of Forestry Action to Tackle Climate Change
2.1 Forestry carbon sinks
Forestry carbon sinks action, also known as Carbon Forestry(Liu Shirong,2005), aims to play the full role of forest as carbon capture,
to lower the carbon dioxide concentration in atmosphere, and to mitigate climate change. Forestry carbon sinks increasing action
includes all kinds of measures to increase land vegetation cover and oil carbon storage, such as afforestation, reforestation, the
restoration of degraded ecological system, the construction of agroforestry system and the intensification of forestry sustainable
management to improve the forest productivity. As the cost of carbon dioxide absorption and fixation by the measures of plantation
and forest protection is much lower than the cost of industrial emission reduction, forestry action becomes one of the most
economical and effective measures to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas.
2.2 Forestry carbon storage
Forestry carbon storage action is to preserve and maintain present carbon stored in forest ecological system so as to prevent carbon
emission. With the forest sustainable management, a series of carbon management measures are adopted to reduce carbon emission
and increase carbon storage capacity, including ecological conservation, reducing desforestation, improving woods operation
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measures, enhancing wood utilization efficiency, and effectively controlling forest disasters (such as forest fires, plant diseases and
insect pests) to reduce the emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation.
2.3 Forestry carbon substitution
The action develops the rising low-carbon industry instead of traditional high-carbon forestry industry, develops durable wood
products instead of energy-intensive materials, and uses renewable wood fuel (like forest biofuel forest) and logging residue. It
includes: (1) Industry substitution: in order to reduce carbon emission, such as forest cultivation, maintenance industry, eco-tourism
and bio-industry. (2) Energy substitution: namely forest bio-energy or forestry energy cropping, aims to substitute fossil energy for
biomass energy. Forest biomass is not only the fuel of rural areas but also the material for generating electricity, which has huge
potential for reducing emissions. (3) Raw material substitution: Energy-intensive materials (such as iron, cement, aluminium product,
plastic, and tile) can be substituted by durable wood products, so as to increase land carbon storage and decrease the greenhouse gas
emission produced by burning fossil fuel in the course of energy-intensive material production.
3 Chinese Forestry Practices and It’s Contribution to Tackle Climate Change
3.1 Launch and implement key forestry programs
Table 1 The Afforestation Area in Key Forestry Programs in 2001-2009 (unit: 1 000 hectares)
Year
Total
Natural Forest
Protection Program
(NFPP)
Conversion of
Cropland to Forest
Program (CCFP)
Sandification
Control
Program
(SCP)
Key Shelterbelt
Development
Program
(KSDP)
Forest Industrial
Base
Development
Program
(FIBDP)
2001
3160.2
948.1
871.0
217.3
1034.9
88.9
2002
6777.4
856.1
4423.6
676.4
775.6
45.7
2003
8262.8
688.3
6196.1
824.4
533.5
20.4
2004
4802.9
641.5
3217.5
473.3
448.3
22.3
2005
3109.1
424.8
1898.4
408.3
368.2
9.5
2006
2810.8
774.8
1050.5
409.5
566.8
9.1
2007
2681.7
732.9
1056.0
315.1
574.2
3.4
2008
3438.5
1008.9
1189.7
469.1
765.7
5.3
2009
4596.3
1360.9
886.7
434.8
1893.1
20.8
2001-2009
39639.7
7436.3
20789.5
4228.2
6960.5
225.3
Source: State Forestry Administration in China (SFA), 2000-2009
Launching forestry key projects are both the strategic content of forestry sustainable development and Chinese positive action to deal
with the challenge of global warming. At present China has carried out six forestry key programs with the widest range and the
biggest scale in the history. The Forestry Ecological Program has planned the afforestation task of more than 7.34 million hectares,
covering 97% of national county towns. The finished afforestation of major projects in 2001~2009 see Table1.
3.2 Implement forestry carbon sinks project
In terms of Tokyo Protocol ratified in 1997, the promised goal of reducing and limiting greenhouse gas emission can be offset by the
carbon dioxide absorbed by afforestation, reforestation and forest management since 1990; at the same time, in the Clean
Development Mechanism, developed countries are allowed to offset their promised goal of reducing and limiting emission through
gaining carbon sinks from external forestry projects of developing countries (SFA, 2008). It is estimated that the greatest potential of
carbon sinks in 2000~2005 is 1.53~2.47 billion tons carbon per year, of which is 28% afforestation, 14% reforestation, and 7% agroforestry (SFA, 2008). Forestry activities have become one of the most economical and effective measures for most countries to
mitigate climate change. Generally speaking, afforestation under CDM refers to the plantation on land which hasn’t grown forest for
past 50 years 2. State Forestry Administration in China has brought forestry carbon sequestration into the general strategy of national
UNFCCC (2001) the Marrakesh Accord defines afforestation as “the direct human activity of establishing a forest on land that has not been a forest
for at least past 50 years by artificially planting trees, their seeds or artificially promoting natural seminationsowing”(UNFCCC, 2001). Reaffoestation
refers to the direct human activity of turning a land which once was a forest but changed into non-forest into forest by transplanting, sowing or
artificially promoting natural seminationsowing.
2
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forestry development, and launched the projects of carbon sinks of afforestation and reforestation. Although not all the afforestation
activities can be brought into CERs (Carbon Emissions Rights) benefits from CDM, the potential international carbon market
provides good opportunity for the development of Chinese carbon sequestration industry.
The forestry carbon sinks activities include both CDM carbon sinks afforestation projects and non-CDM projects with the target of
carbon sinks afforestation. Forestry Carbon sinks projects in China not only a good approach to raise international investment for
planting trees but also driving the employment related to afforestation.
3.3 Develop energy forestry
Developing biomass energy is an important measure to carry out energy diversified strategy in China which actively deals with
climate change. The main way to develop forestry biomass energy is to explore the marginal land like Waste Mountain, bare land, the
saline land not suitable for farming for reclamation and Afforestation. Chinese forestry biomass energy is abundant, and the potential
is very huge. The biomass provided by present forest in China has 300 million tons, equal to 200 million tons of standard coal, which
means 1/10 of fossil energy consumption would be reduced annually. According to “National Energy Forest Plan” issued by SFA,
China will build more than 0.667 million hectares of pilot energy forest projects during the period of the 11th Five-Year Plan; energy
forest will reach 13.34 million hectares till 2020, which can provide more than 6 million tons of biodiesel to meet the fuel need of
power station with 11 million kilowatt installed capacity (SFA, 2008).
3.4 The contribution of Chinese forestry action to low-carbon development
Forestry has quite positive effects on the execution of Chinese low-carbon development. Carrying out forestry action, such as
afforestation, reforestation, forest management, wetland protection, and fossil energy substitution, can not only effectively absorb
carbon dioxide and mitigate greenhouse effect but also increase jobs (Jia Zhibang, 2007).
According to the estimation of State Forestry Administration in China, the potential of Chinese forestry to absorb carbon dioxide
equivalent is huge, including: (1) to enlarge the afforestation area would increase forest carbon storage capacity. There are 57 million
hectares of non-forest land, 264 million hectares of desertified land and 174 million hectares of sand land. If all the non-forest lands
are planted and 30% of desertified and sand lands are building into shrubbery, the potential sequestration would be 1.23 billion tons
of carbon equivalents. (2) To strengthen forest management would increase the forest annual yield about 500 million cubic meters
and improve carbon sequestration ability 1.086 billion tons per year. (3) To afforest on mature and over-mature forest logging areas
would expand forest carbon storage capacity to 57 million tons of carbon fixation per year. (4) To strengthen the restoration and
management of wetland would increase its carbon storage capacity. There are 338.4855 million hectares of wetland now in China,
about 40% of which has been brought into conservation districts. If 30% of the 10 million hectares of cultivated wetlands are restored,
28 million tons of carbon dioxide can be fixed per year. (5) To substitute the energy-intensive raw material like iron and cement for
renewable forest wood product would reduce carbon dioxide emission about 1.1 billion tons(Jia Zhibang,2007).
Therefore, the potential of forestry carbon capture and storage ability would be over 3 billions tons per yea. It means that Chinese
forestry will devote to reduce the emission of over 1.5 billions tons of the Carbon dioxide equivalent if we make true the half of the
potential per year (Jia Zhibang, 2007).
4 The Impact of Forestry Actions on Carbon Emission and Employment
4.1 Climate change impacts on forestry development and employment
According to “China's National Climate Change Programme” (2007), the future climate change will effect on Chinese forest
ecological system in following respects. Firstly, the distribution of forest types will move northwards. All types of forestry distributed
from south to north will impel northwards. Secondly, the forestry productivity and output will increase in various degrees. The
forestry productivity will increase 1% ~2% in tropical and subtropical regions, about 2% in warm temperate zone, 5%~6% in
temperate zone, and 10% in cool temperate zone. Thirdly, the frequency and the intensity of forest fire and plant diseases will
possibly rise.
The impacts of climate change on Chinese forest resource will also affect the development of forestry industry, and consequently will
have corresponding effects on forestry employment. The positive impacts include: (1) in order to mitigate global warming, Chinese
government increases the investment in the field of forestry, launches relevant projects of forestry ecological system construction,
which have spurred the forestry employment and consequently boosted the shift of labor force and the upgrade of employment
structure. (2) New low-carbon industries comes into being, such as carbon sequestration industry, biomass energy forestry, forest
products industry, eco-tourism, forest sustainable management, and so on. These industries extend the forestry industrial chain and
create some new employment opportunities, which will absorb large amounts of labor forces.
The negative impacts include: (1) climate change and low-carbon development mode restricts the development of wood logging and
processing industry and many workers of forest products processing have to be laid off. (2) Forestry employment is also negatively
affected by some natural disasters caused by climate change, such as plant diseases, insect pests and extreme weather disasters, and
the impacts of climate change on the distribution of forest types and forestry management.
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4.2 Forestry industry development, carbon emission and employment
Forestry industry itself is a complete industry chain, including not only the primary industry but also the secondary industry and
tertiary industry. The development of forestry industry includes not only forestation, forest management, wood production and
processing but also forest chemical, forestry machinery manufacturing, forest tourism, forest foods, forest medicine herb, non-wood
forest, flowers and bamboo industry etc. The employment capacity of different industries poses different impact on climate change.
By expert judgment, Table 2 makes a description on the carbon emission and employment capacity of various forestry industries
from the viewpoint of traditional forestry industries and newly emerging forestry industries. Through analysis, we may find that the
development of forestry industry is not only favorable for slowing down the process of climate change or adapting to climate change,
but also able to create large amount of green employment positions. It is favorable for promoting the transition of low carbon
employment to actively develop processing and manufacturing industries, forest by-product industry, and eco-tourism and so on.
Table2 Carbon emission of forestry industry and its capacity of creating job opportunities
Variety of industries
Traditional
Forestry
Industries
Forest cultivation
Increasing carbon sinks
Contribution
to climate
change
Positive
Forest plantation
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Strong
Forest
conservation
Forest harvesting
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Strong
Carbon emission
Negative
Weak
Forest
transportation
Processing and manufacturing of
forest
product
Plantation and gathering of nontimber forest
product
Flower industry
Bamboo industry
Carbon emission
Negative
Weak
Carbon emission
Negative
Medium
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Strong
Increasing carbon sinks
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Positive
Strong
Strong
Forest
tourism,
forest leisure
and
forest culture
Low carbon emission
Neutral
Strong
Low carbon emission
Neutral
Medium
Low carbon emission
Neutral
Medium
Low carbon emission
Increasing carbon sinks
Neutral
Positive
Strong
Medium
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Medium
Carbon sequestration
Positive
Medium
Increasing carbon sinks
Positive
Medium
Carbon substitution
Positive
Strong
Carbon substitution
Positive
Strong
Carbon substitution
Positive
Strong
Carbon substitution
Carbon substitution
Positive
Positive
Strong
Strong
Forest
cultivation,
plantation and
conservation
Forest
harvesting and
transp.
Newly
Emerging
Forestry
Industries
Forestry tourism
industry
Forestry leisure
Industry
Forestry culture
industry
Non-wood product industry
Forest
Forest
carbon
ecological
trade service
service
Forest
hydrological
service
Biodiversity
protection
Other
forest
ecological service
Forest
bio- Bio-energy
industry
resources
Bio-material
Biopharmaceutical
industry
Green chemicals
Green food
Carbon emission
96
Opportunities
of job
creation
Strong
4.3 Effects of priority forestry actions on employment
There are two basic approaches for human beings to deal with climate change a: one is to enhance the adaptive ability for climate
change; the other is to mitigate climate change. In terms of the latter, the crucial practice is to reduce the accumulation of greenhouse
gases in atmosphere. The specific methods are to decrease the emission (sources) of greenhouse gases and to increase it’s the carbon
sinks from forestry by reducing Fossil fuel based energy consumption and improving energy efficiency.
Forests and all vegetation play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere because trees and other plants
absorb carbon dioxide from the air. When a forest is increasing in size it absorbs C0 2 as part of the process of increasing its biomass
and is referred to as a carbon "sink". Once the forest reaches maturity the carbon density remains approximately constant. This is
called a carbon "reservoir". Therefore, maintenance of existing biomass stocks (e.g. forests and forest products) is a key to avoiding
further emissions of greenhouse gases.
Possible effects that Chinese forestry activities have on employment are shown as Table3. Altogether main forestry activities dealing
with climate change can have a significant positive impact on employment.
Table 3 Effects of forestry actions on employment
Activities
Forestry
action to
mitigate
climate
change
Positive effects
Carbon
sinks
afforestation （CDM
and non-CDM Carbon
sinks afforestation）
Forestry
biomass
energy
Key
forestry
projects
Natural
Forest
Protection
Program
Conversion
of Cropland
to Forest
Program
Sandification
Control
Program
Expanding
new
opportunities directly.
Negative effects
job
Complex
effects
None
Positive
Creating
new
green
job
opportunities, promoting the
transformation
of
some
traditional
energy
industry
workers to new energy industry.
Increasing
employment
in
managing
and
protecting
forestry
Partly substitute
the
partial
employment in
traditional
energy industry
Decrease
forestry workers
Positive
effect on the
whole
Increasing
employees
in
afforestation
and
forest
management; promoting the
transformation of rural surplus
labor force and upgrading
employment
Project investment creates lots
of new green jobs directly
The number of
workers
in
cereals planting
will be reduced
to some extent
in the short term
Promoting the
livestock
industry-related
employment in
the short term
None
Neutral
Influencing jobs
engaging in the
use of resources
in surrounding
communities to
some extent
Positive
effect on the
whole
Key
Shelterbelt
Development
Program
Project investment creates lots
of
new
green
jobs
in
afforestation
and
forest
management directly
Nature
reserves
constructing
and
managing
Program
Project investment creates lots
of new green jobs directly
97
Neutral
Positive
effects on the
whole
Positive
Activities
Forestry
actions
to adapt
climate
change
Positive effects
Wetland
constructing
and
managing
project
Project investment creates lots
of new green jobs directly
Forest
Industrial
Base
Development
Program
Project investment creates lots
of new jobs directly
ecosystem
Creating some jobs relating to
forest protection
Adapting
forest
industry development
Creating some new green jobs
directly
Forest
protection
Negative effects
Influencing
number
affected
employees
the
use
resources in
short term
None
the
of
Complex
effects
Positive
effect on the
whole
in
of
the
Influencing
partial
employment
relating
to
resource
utilization
to
some extent
Reducing some
non-adapting
industry
development
workers
Positive
effect on the
whole
Neutral
Positive
effect on the
whole
4.4 Cases study: carbon sinks projects and its’ contribution to employment
From 2004, Carbon Sinks Office of China’s State Forestry Administration started the Forestry Carbon Sinks pilot program in
Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, Shanxi and Liaoning(Li Nuyun,2007), among which CDM projects in Kyoto Protocol is
applied in Guangxi and Inner Mongolia.
4.4.1 Carbon sinks pilot projects in Guangxi
The program in Guangxi started in April, 2004, with the full name Guangxi Forestry Catchment Administration Program in Pearl
River Delta Area. According to the program, a multipurpose plantation of 4,000 hectares would be built in Cenxi City, Guangxi, with
the investment of 3 million dollars. In the program, the sum of around 2 million dollars is invested by the Carbon Trust of World
Bank on its Carbon Sinks Sub-project. It aims to promote the sustainable development of forestry and improve the ecological
environment of Pearl River Delta Area through Afforestation, watershed management (including Afforestation activity) and
biodiversity conservation.
The implementation of the program includes construction period and administration period. The construction period is from 2006 to
2009. The forestation can be implemented in 2 years, after which the land should be fostered for 3 years. The administration period is
from 2009 to 2037, which includes forest pest control, fire prevention, forest protection, fostering and logging, regeneration,
management, monitoring of emission reductions and others. It is expected that 5000 beneficial farmers will implement the program
and about 21.1 million USD income increased for Guangxi farmers, with 5 million temporary employment created, most of which
jobs is for planting, weeding and rosin collecting. And 40 positions of formal jobs can be created in the CERs counting period. It’s
estimated that for temporary labors the income will be 3 dollars each working day, and for formal job workers the income will be 900
dollars one year. All the employment opportunities are offered to the local minority, for who live in the program area in Zhujiang
County (Guangxi Forestry Bureau.2006).
4.4.2 Carbon sinks projects in Inner Mongolia
“Forestation and Desert Prevention Program for the Young in Ao Han Banner in Northeastern China” is an initiative jointly carried
out by State Forestry Administration and Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea in 2005, in which the two parties agreed to
invest 1.53 million USD in five years to afforest 3,000 hectares of land in Inner Mongolia. 2500 local farmers may expect gains from
the program. Of this population, 2311 people, including a majority of women, are considered as the direct beneficiaries of the
program and are expected to participate all the way in this 5-year program (http://www.fcarbonsinks.gov.cn/thxm/index.aspx). The
other participants will also receive training on environment protection, plantation, forest administration and carbon-sink expertise.
The program may also draw volunteers, including many young and women, from the urban areas, and is expected to create
employment opportunities and increase revenue for local residents.
4.4.3 Carbon sinks project in Shanxi Province
98
Initiated in October, 2004, the forestation program in Shi Bi Mountain in Shanxi province is the first carbon-sink forestry project
carried out by volunteers in the private sector in China. It was developed independently by Taiyuan Renlong Corporate Development
Group Co. Ltd, a private enterprise specializing in developing industrialized bio-technologies in agriculture and forestry. The
program aims to restore the ecosystem in wasted farmlands, barren mountains and sandstone areas, and is expected to absorb 1.53
million tons of carbon dioxide within the next four decades. The total investment is estimated at 8.9 million USD, with its benefits
extending to over 700 rural households.
The program will help improve the life quality of over 700 rural households, provide 2751 temporary and 70 permanent jobs for local
residents, with its benefits shared by 3,500 farmers in 11 villages (http://www.fcarbonsinks.gov.cn/thxm/index.aspx). Moreover, by
promoting awareness of preserving culture relics and protecting ecosystem, the programs will boost tourism in the local area and is
conductive in creating jobs in tourism related sectors.
5 Conclusions and Policy Implications
5.1 Conclusions
We can draw the following conclusions from the above whole research:
(1) Forestry plays an important role in dealing with the climate change. Forest plants have a unique function of carbon sinks by
absorbing and fixing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, which plays an important role in stabilizing the atmospheric
concentration of greenhouse gases. Forestry activities have already become one of the most cost-effective and efficient measures in
international efforts to greenhouse gas emission limitation and reduction.
(2) Forestry contributes actively in mitigating global climate change. Through three main approaches such as carbon sinks, carbon
sequestration and carbon substitution, forestry plays a positive and tremendous role in mitigating and adapting the global climate
change.
(3) Forestry actions to deal with climate change produce a positive effect on employment. Such as the implementations of forestry
key project, carbon forestry and energy forestry have a positive impact on employment.
5.2 Policy implications
Currently, world’s forestry still has enormous room for growth. Through promulgating correlated, invigorative, and supportive
policies by the state, the development of forestry can be greatly accelerated and more environmentally friendly green jobs can be
created. A sustainable green investment on forestry will continue to make a sustained contribution to the adaptation and slow down of
the global climate change on the one hand, and also help to ease the employment pressure in the world on the other hand. Therefore,
under the background of the economics recession, increasing green investment on forestry could be an important strategy not only for
China but also the other countries with the similar context. China and the other countries should further encourage and accelerate the
forestry development, strengthen the international exchange and cooperation, and expand employment capacity in forestry sector to
cope with the dual challenges from the global climate change and economics recession.
Acknowledgements:
The authors sincerely thank Pan Jiahua, Zheng Yan, Zhang Ying, Wang Cuihuai, Liu Jianjie, Yu Baichuan for providing their
guidance, comments and suggestions for this research. The authors would like to thank the International Labor Organization and
Research Center for Urban Development and Environment at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for offering the financial support
for this research.
This research supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities（RW2011-11）and the China Climate
Change Partnership Framework MDG-F Programme commissioned by the International Labor Organization( ILO).
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