As forest companies in Canada are struggling to come through a period of record low commodity prices, US exchange rate challenges, and worldwide recession, it is unlikely that a carbon strategy would be a top priority. This paper explores the reality that even as a company operates in a harsh business environment, a carbon strategy is helpful in moving to a more sustainable and financially competitive future. In the context of stakeholder theory and competitive forces both inside and outside the company's industry, there is evidence to show that moving toward a low carbon future is in their best interest over the long term. Considering this, the study looks at the possibility of direct investment in forestry carbon projects from a financial perspective. Specifically, the analysis is based on hypothetical afforestation, fertilization, and select seed projects with harvesting treatments based in the interior of British Columbia. The results indicate that due to the substantial uncertainty and poor expected returns, forest carbon projects may not be a wise investment for forest companies at this time. However, there are various steps that companies can make to transition themselves to a low carbon future. These include carbon footprinting and the development of green programs, targets, and goals within the company's operations. These actions can lead to first mover advantages within the forest industry and prepare the firm for more onerous demands in the future. These demands would include regulatory emission constraints or preparing for the implementation of a cap and trade system. --P. ii.
Carbon dioxide (CO\u2082) emissions from transportation contribute to anthropogenic climate change and are expected to increase significantly in the future. CO\u2082 emission inventories exist for various transportation modes at the global scale, but are rare at the subnational scale and even rarer for interurban (versus urban) transportation. In this dissertation, I present a detailed analysis of CO\u2082 emissions and emission factors for interurban transportation for the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada, and an analysis of a wide variety of emission scenarios for BC\u2019s interurban transportation system, comparing modelled emissions to the 2020 and 2050 greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the province\u2019s 2007 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act. Nine modes of transportation were included: passenger (private vehicles, ferries, aviation, intercity buses, trains) and freight (trucking, marine, rail, aviation). Annual CO\u2082 emissions from BC interurban transportation were approximately 11.2 Mt CO\u2082 in 2013, of which freight trucking was the greatest contributor with 48.5% of total CO\u2082 emissions. The second largest contributor was private vehicles (17.1% of total CO\u2082 emissions), while the third largest contributor was marine freight (16.8% of total CO\u2082 emissions). Of 106 scenarios modelling future changes to the interurban transportation system, only 15 were able to meet BC\u2019s 2050 emission reduction target, and only two were able to meet both the 2020 and 2050 targets (assuming interurban transportation had to meet the same emission reductions as prescribed for the economy as a whole). Only scenarios with the highest reduction rates were able to meet the reduction targets, and with every passing year, meeting them becomes more challenging.
