Difference Between Carbon and Land Management


Carbon and land management are two distinct concepts that have gained significant attention in the past few years. While both these concepts are aimed at promoting sustainable development, they differ in their scope, approach, and objectives. This essay aims to discuss the fundamental differences between carbon and land management.

What is Carbon Management?

Carbon management is the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change impacts. It involves measuring, monitoring, and mitigating carbon emissions from various sources, including industrial processes, transport, and land use changes. Carbon management strategies include energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and carbon offsetting. The primary objective of carbon management is to reduce carbon emissions to meet global emission reduction targets and mitigate climate change impacts.

One of the most updated and related legislations is United Kingdom’s “Climate Change Act” which features a long-term agenda for carbon management. The Act aims to bring down greenhouse gas emissions to “zero” by the year 2050. In the United States (US), a 2018 report indicated that greenhouse-related gas emissions increased by 3.4 percent. The biggest sources of such gasses are transportation, power generation, and industry. In Pennsylvania, governor Wolf announced that his state intends to reduce greenhouse gases by 80% by the year 2050.

What is Land Management?

Land management refers to the management of land and its resources for sustainable use. Land management strategies include sustainable agriculture, forest management, wildlife conservation, and land use planning. The primary objective of land management is to maintain or enhance the ecological, economic, and social values of land resources.

UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has the following four principles −

  • To aim for institutional and policy support as well as to develop incentive and income generation programs

  • To align procedures with land-user practices and use participatory tactics

  • To integrate the utility of natural resources in farms and ecosystem scales

  • To involve stakeholders, experts, policy-makers, land users, and partners at all levels

Moreover, The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of the US values public land ownerships. It governs the management of the proper utilization of land resources for both the present and future needs of America. It specifies the procedures for land-use planning, acquisition, payments, range management, and rights-of-way.

Differences: Carbon Management and Land Management

One of the key differences between carbon and land management is their scope. Carbon management focuses primarily on reducing carbon emissions, whereas land management focuses on managing land resources sustainably. Carbon management is primarily concerned with mitigating the negative impacts of climate change, while land management is concerned with promoting sustainable land use practices.

Another significant difference between carbon and land management is their approach. Carbon management involves implementing technology-based solutions such as renewable energy and carbon capture and storage. In contrast, land management involves implementing nature-based solutions such as sustainable agriculture, forest management, and wildlife conservation.

arbon management is a more technical approach that requires significant investments in technology and infrastructure, while land management is a more holistic approach that involves working with communities and stakeholders to promote sustainable land use practices.

Lastly, the objectives of carbon and land management are also different. Carbon management aims to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate change impacts, while land management aims to promote sustainable land use practices that maintain or enhance the ecological, economic, and social values of land resources. Carbon management is primarily concerned with addressing climate change, while land management is concerned with promoting sustainable development.

The following table highlights the major differences between Carbon Management and Land Management −

Characteristics

Carbon Management

Land Management

Focus

Carbon management is specifically looking into carbon emissions, identification of the carbon footprint, and employment of a reduction stratagem.

On the other hand, land management looks into the proper use and development of land resources.

Area

Generally, carbon management is more concerned with industrialized areas or urban settings as it is where a number of emissions are produced.

As for land management, it is often associated with less industrialized areas or rural settings where farm lands are more abundant.

Related Legislations

Regarding carbon management, America’s “Clean Power Plan 2015” under the Clean Air Act of 1963 specified carbon emission reduction targets for each state.

As for land management, the States’ Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) provided for the management, conservation, and growth of national resource lands and pertinent purposes.

Issues regarding Donald Trump

One of the well-known issues concerning carbon management is president Donald Trump’s announcement of his intent to quit the Paris Agreement, the United Nations convention on climate change which aims to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, mitigate carbon-related utilization, and help fund such procedures. This was previously signed during the administration of Barrack Obama.

Trump’s leadership is often described as notorious for exploiting public lands and wildlife. One of the issues is the administration’s move to relocate the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which governs federal lands, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National System of Public Lands, and other related agencies.

Principles

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Victoria has laid out specific “Carbon Management Principles”: measure emissions, set objectives, avoid generating emissions, reduce emissions, switch energy source, sequester certain emissions, assess residual emissions, offset the emissions, and review the process.

The World Bank identified principles and criteria for sustainable land management: global concerns for sustainability, sustainable agriculture, and sharing responsibilities for sustainability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, carbon and land management are two distinct concepts that differ in their scope, approach, and objectives. Carbon management is concerned with reducing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change impacts, while land management is concerned with promoting sustainable land use practices. While both these concepts are essential for promoting sustainable development, they require different approaches and strategies to achieve their respective objectives.

Updated on: 03-Apr-2023

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