Selling Carbon Storage:
Background Paper for the Guyana Forest Partnership Initiative

Bello, Tamar/Pearce, Davied (1998: University College, London and University of East Anglia, UK

It is widely acknowledged that rainforests have a myriad of ecological values that provide benefits both nationally and globally. Among these, carbon storage is a potentially large source of revenue that can both 'capture' the environmental value of a forest and generate much needed financial resources. This background paper demonstrates how and why it is important to view forests as carbon stores. In doing so, it illustrates the prospective income generated from storing carbon as well as the motivations of carbon buyers, particularly, a 'green image' and legal obligations from national and international carbon 'caps'. Actual trades in the global carbon market are assessed in order to establish the context for Guyana's possible entrance and ability to capture a share of the market.