CARBON BONDS: A TOOL FOR THE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF PARAMO ECOSYSTEMS QUIMIAG-ECUADOR

Background. One of the main difficulties with carbon bonds lies in the ambiguity in the methods of measuring emissions reductions. The diversity of standards and protocols used to quantify emissions makes the effective comparison and evaluation of projects difficult. This lack of uniformity compromises the integrity of the evaluation system since the reliability of carbon bonds depends on the accuracy in measuring reductions. Objective. To quantify the organic carbon content in the soil of paramo ecosystems for commercialization through carbon bonds. Methodology. 366 cells of 100 x 100 m2 were set with the help of Geographic Information Systems software in each ecosystem. To determine the sites to be inventoried, the formula of finite populations was employed, while to determine the Social Cost of carbon, the costs per ton from the year 2011 until 2030 were considered, according to 2017 estimations of the World Bank. Results. A total of 399 482.25 tons of total organic carbon (COT) in the seven ecosystems situated in the study area, which equals 8 908 454.18 USD in carbon bonds that could be traded in international carbon markets. Implications. The results allow us to develop recommendations to contribute to the sustainability of paramo ecosystems. Conclusions. Under a monetary analysis of the price of the sale of carbon bonds and considering that in the best scenario they would be offered at a value of 22.30 USD, a value of 8 908 454.18 USD would be obtained, similarly in the worst scenario with a value of 2.97 USD, there would be a monetary value of 1 186 462.28, which would positively contribute to generating a sustainability project through the conservation and resilience of these high Andean ecosystems.