Forests have the capacity to both store and emit carbon. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store carbon in the stem, roots, branches, and leaves. Wood products that are harvested from forests also provide long-term storage of carbon.
2024 Georgia Carbon Registry Amendment
The purpose of the amendment to the Georgia Carbon Registry is to promote the use of building products used in construction in Georgia that sequester carbon and/or reduce carbon emissions and to issue carbon credits to the builder/developer for carbon sequestered and
reductions in embodied carbon as compared to conventional building practice. The details of the project are recorded in the Georgia Carbon Registry and credits are issued to participants – typically building owners. Participation is voluntary.
The guidelines provided in this document strive to meet established criteria compatible with global carbon credit and offset markets, with the goal of producing high-quality, auditable carbon credits through a rigorous process ensuring that projects in the registry are making
meaningful reductions to atmospheric carbon. These criteria include robust carbon accounting, additionality, and 100-year permanence to ensure that carbon removals remain in place during this critical period of transition from carbon-emitting to carbon-neutral energy technologies.
The provisions of the protocol are mandatory, meaning that to qualify for carbon credits, the participant must comply with all provisions outlined in the document. The boundary definitions of the LCA’s which underlie these carbon calculations include optional provisions for some life cycle stages, e.g., for calculating carbon associated with transportation and on-site construction, that some registrants may wish to pursue. Other participants may choose to simplify their calculations or may not have the data required to assess transportation energy flows and site-specific energy flows.
Some sections of this document end with a sub-section titled Commentary. The commentary sections are non-mandatory and are included to inform the user of background information, provide references to similar efforts such as this registry, and guide in further development of the protocol in the future.
Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry
Application Form
Please contact Devon Dartnell at ddartnell@gfc.state.ga.us for more information.
Resources
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry | Protocols for Carbon Accounting of Sustainable Products in Buildings Prepared by the Sustainable Building Materials Technical Advisory Committee | |
| Third Party Verification Providers | A list of third-party verification providers |