ESTIMATION OF CARBON STORAGE AND SEQUESTRATION OF IPOH URBAN TREES FOR VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET

Ipoh has strategies to sequester carbon by establishing a tree-planting program and increasing carbon storage in urban trees. The tree-planting program provides many environmental and social benefits. Hence, this research aims to quantify the mitigation of CO2 in the atmosphere by trees in the selected area which is Taman DR Seenivasagam for a pilot case study. The research objectives are to measure the carbon storage and sequestration of urban trees and to value the carbon credit for nature conservation. For the tree plant identification, carbon storage and sequestration were analysed using physical observation and a systematic literature review. A total of 220 trees were analysed and the total net carbon sequestration is estimated at 10,468.22 kg C/year, and the price for voluntary carbon credit in nature-based offset is estimated at USD 9.74 per year. This finding is an eye-opener to the community and policymakers: it signifies that every tree has a market value.