Carbon Dieting: Latent Ancillary Rights to Carbon Offsets in Conservation Easements

Abstract

This article discusses the use of perpetual conservation easements to create marketable carbon offsets. For example, a conservation easement can prohibit timber harvest ("avoided deforestation") on eased land and thereby create carbon offsets based on the carbon sequestration naturally performed by the still standing trees. The article also discusses specific requirements for creation of carbon offsets such as additionality, permanence and leakage.

Keywords: conservation easement, global warming, carbon offsets, additionality, permanence, leakage