Sinks, or carbon sinks, are the ecosystems, principally forests and oceans, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing and storing it, thereby offsetting carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon sinks can also include the re-injection of carbon dioxide into oil reservoirs.
Within the Kyoto Protocol sinks include land-use change and forestry activities. Countries may secure credits from reforestation and afforestation activities but they also have to report emissions from deforestation.
processes or places that remove pollutants or greenhouse gases from the atmosphere
Ecosystems, notably forests and oceans, which can remove carbon from the atmosphere by absorbing and storing it, thereby offsetting CO2 emissions. The Kyoto Protocol allows certain terrestrial human-induced sinks activities undertaken since 1990 to be counted towards Annex I Parties' emission targets. See also LULUCF.
natural systems forests and wetlands, for example that absorb and store greenhouse gases
Under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries can include changes in net emissions (calculated as emissions minus removals of CO2) from certain activities in the land-use change and forestry sector. Calculating the effects of sinks (growing vegetation tends to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) is methodologically complex and still needs to be clarified.
Growing vegetation tends to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Calculating the effect of sinks (by land-use change and forestry) is methodologically complex and still needs to be clarified.
processes or places that remove or store gases, solutes or solids in accumulating parts of the environment
Term to describe large areas of vegetation or ocean which absorb compounds such as carbon dioxide.
Sinks remove gases from the atmosphere either by destroying them through chemical processes or storing them in some other form. Carbon dioxide is often stored in ocean water, plants, or soils, from where it can be released at a later time.
places where materials are collected or disposed of either temporarily or permanently (i.e., the global atmosphere is a sink for greenhouse gases; biomass or riverbeds are temporary sinks for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous.)
Land, forests and oceans which absorb carbon dioxide and act as its reservoirs. Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries can include changes in net emissions (calculated as emissions minus removals of carbon dioxide) from certain activities in the land-use change and forestry (LUCF) sector. This is being negotiated.
Any process, activity or mechanism that results in the net removal of greenhouse gases, aerosols, or precursors of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.