Approaches for Creating a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory for a Canadian Biosphere Reserve
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Date
2014-10-03
Authors
Egeh, Gulaid
Keyword
Biosphere Reserve , GHG Inventory
Abstract
The following research presents a case study of potential approaches that could be applied when creating a community GHG inventory for a Canadian biosphere reserve – a geographic scale which has not been explored before for an inventory of this type. A partial carbon footprint that focusses on four key emission sources was created using the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve of Southeastern Ontario as a study area. Unique approaches that combine the use of GIS data with readily available surrogate data from statistical surveys were applied in order to surmount recognized challenges associated with boundary setting and data collection. In most cases, the results showed a typical trend where community size and dispersion were the main determinants for the significance of emissions generated by community members in different municipalities. Unique factors such as dwelling type, demographics, and rural-urban divide were also found to be important indicators that impacted emissions as well. Potential approaches for mitigating emissions were provided based on the findings, and a discussion regarding the potential financial benefits that quantifying emissions could have for a biosphere reserve in the long term were noted.