The purpose of this report is to consider the scientific and technical issues
associated with accounting for emissions of biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) from stationary sources, and to develop a framework to account for those emissions. In this report, biogenic CO2 emissions are defined as CO2 emissions directly resulting from the combustion, decomposition, or processing of biologically
based materials other than fossil fuels, peat, and mineral sources of carbon through combustion, digestion, fermentation, or decomposition processes. Biogenic CO2 is emitted from stationary sources through a variety of energy-related and industrial processes.
This report and accounting framework were developed for the policy context where it has been determined that a stationary source emitting biogenic CO2 requires a means for “adjusting” its total onsite biogenic emissions estimate on the basis of information about growth of the feedstock and/or avoidance of biogenic emissions and more generally the carbon cycle. The decision on
whether to adjust biogenic CO2 emissions from a stationary source in any particular program is a policy decision, and this study does not provide any recommendations or judgments about that issue. Rather, this report provides a general accounting framework that could be used as a means to adjust biogenic CO2 emissions at stationary sources.
