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Volume 7 Issue 3 (September 2026)

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Utilizing Rubber Tree Age-Classes to Structure a Voluntary Carbon Credit Compensation Mechanism

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v7i3.105540

Received: 13 December 2025 | Revised: 9 January 2026 | Accepted: 4 February 2026 | Published Online: 26 August 2026

Copyright © 2026 Rawee Chiarawipa, Benchaporn Sengaing, Piyanut Musigapong, Buncha Somboonsuke. Published by Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte. Ltd.

Creative Commons LicenseThis is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Abstract

Rubber plantations, as long-term perennial crops, hold significant potential for climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration; however, a standardized carbon credit compensation model aligned with plantation management cycles remains absent in the voluntary market. This study aimed to develop a framework for assessing carbon stock potential and analyzing carbon credit revenue by categorizing the rubber plantation lifecycle into four distinct 7-year developmental stages: S1 (1 to 7 yrs), S2 (>7 to 14 yrs), S3 (>14 to 21 yrs), and S4 (>21 to 28 yrs), assessing GHG emissions, and projecting income. The results demonstrated that GHG emissions increased significantly across the developmental stages (from 0.40 in S1 to 1.20 Mg CO2e/ha/yr in S4). Conversely, the net GHG stock rate peaked in the mid-aged stage (21.01 Mg CO2e/ha/yr in S2), reflecting the period of most vigorous biomass accumulation. However, the stock rate was lowest in the initial S1 stage (18.65 Mg CO2e/ha/yr) and declined to 19.88 Mg CO2e/ha/yr in S4. Economic analysis revealed that the mid-to-older-aged stages offered the highest potential net revenue, ranging from the maximum of $1,335.71 (S2) down to $1,264.70 (S4) per contract stage. Historical price analysis (2015 to 2024) further highlighted extreme market volatility, with aggregate revenue surging from a low of $1,528.72 per contract stage in 2017 to a peak of $10,248.80 per contract stage in 2024. In conclusion, the 7-year age-stage benchmark supports the implementation of sustainable carbon credit projects. Policy intervention, however, is essential to mitigate price uncertainty risks and ensure flexible long-term contracts for equitable and continuous participation by smallholder farmers.

Keywords: Carbon credit income, Carbon offset, Carbon stock, Low carbon agriculture, Rubber agroecosystem

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Online ISSN: 2737-4777, Print ISSN: 2737-4785, Published by Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte. Ltd.