Carbon budget

Carbon budget refers to the balance of the carbon cycle, which involves the exchange of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, ocean, and geosphere of the Earth. The concept of the carbon budget is crucial in understanding the impact of human activities on global climate change and in developing strategies to mitigate this impact.

Overview

The carbon budget is calculated by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by human activities and comparing this with the amount of CO2 absorbed by the Earth's natural systems, such as forests and oceans. The difference between these two amounts is the net carbon budget. If the amount of CO2 emissions exceeds the amount absorbed, the result is a positive carbon budget, which contributes to global warming. Conversely, if the amount absorbed exceeds the emissions, the result is a negative carbon budget, which can help to mitigate climate change.

Components of the Carbon Budget

The carbon budget consists of several components, including:

• Fossil fuel emissions: This is the largest source of human-induced CO2 emissions. It includes emissions from burning coal, oil, and natural gas for energy and transportation.

• Land use change emissions: This includes emissions from deforestation, land degradation, and changes in land use that result in the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere.

• Carbon sinks: These are natural systems that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and store it. Major carbon sinks include forests, soils, and oceans.

• Atmospheric concentration of CO2: This is the amount of CO2 present in the Earth's atmosphere. It is influenced by both human-induced emissions and natural carbon sinks.

Implications of the Carbon Budget

The carbon budget has significant implications for global climate change. A positive carbon budget, where emissions exceed absorption, leads to an increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2, contributing to global warming and associated climate impacts. On the other hand, a negative carbon budget can help to mitigate these impacts by reducing the atmospheric concentration of CO2.

The concept of the carbon budget is also important in the context of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Achieving this goal requires a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and an increase in the capacity of natural carbon sinks.

See Also

• Climate change
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Global warming
• Carbon cycle
• Carbon sink
• Paris Agreement