Re d uc ing Em issio ns fro m
De fo re sta tio n a nd Fo re st
De g ra d a tio n (REDD)
A Disc ussio n Pa p e r fo r the
C lim a te A c tio n Ne two rk (C A N)
No ve m b e r, 2007
This Disc ussio n Pa p e r w a s d ra fte d b y m e m b e rs o f the C lima te Ac tio n Ne tw o rk (C AN) to p ro vid e b a c kg ro und info rm a tio n fo r tho se a tte nd ing the Ba li C o nfe re nc e , o n re d uc ing e m issio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n a nd fo re st d e g ra d a tio n (REDD). It is a se p a ra te d o c um e nt fro m the C AN Po sitio n Sta te m e nt o n re d uc ing e m issio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n a nd fo re st d e g ra d a tio n, a nd d o e s no t re p re se nt C AN’ s p o sitio ns o n REDD issue s. Ra the r, it is inte nd e d to sum m a rize the m a in p o ints und e r d isc ussio n, g iving the a rg um e nts o f b o th sid e s o n issue s in c o ntro ve rsy.
The p rinc ip a l d ra fte rs o f this d isc ussio n p a p e r we re : Ric h Bla uste in, De fe nd e rs o f Wild life ; Re b e c c a Bo lt Ettling e r, Ne p e nthe s a nd the Da nish 92 g ro up ; Do ug Bo uc he r, Unio n o f C o nc e rne d Sc ie ntists; Kirste n Ma c e y,
G re e np e a c e ; Fio na Rya n, Wild e rne ss So c ie ty o f Austra lia ; a nd Ste p ha n Sc hw a rtzm a n, Enviro nm e nta l De fe nse Fund .
1. Tro p ic a l De fo re sta tio n a nd C lim a te C ha ng e
Houghton, R. 2005. Tropical deforestation as a source of greenhouse gases. In Tropical Deforestation and Climate Change, Edited by P. Moutinho and S. Schwartzman, Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM) and Environmental Defense. www.ipam.org.br
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Page, S E, Sigert F, Riley J O, Boehm H-DV, Jaya, A, Limin S (2002). The amount of carbon released during peat and forest fires in Indonesia during 1997. Nature 420:61-65.
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a b o ut d e fo re sta tio n e m issio ns.4 It is the re fo re ve ry im p o rta nt tha t sig nific a nt inve stm e nt is ma d e in sc ie ntific a nd te c hnic a l wo rk o n inve nto rie s.
Figure 1. Forest burning for soy plantation, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
The c urre nt sta te o f m o nito ring te c hno lo g y w a s sum m a rize d b y the C lim a te Ac tio n Ne tw o rk in Fe b rua ry, 2007 a s fo llo w s:
- Suffic ie nt te c hnic a l a nd d a ta a c q uisitio n m e tho d o lo g ie s e xist a t p re se nt to und e rta ke a na tio na l-le ve l inve nto ry o f la nd use c ha ng e , inc lud ing
p e rio d ic m o nito ring a nd d e te c tio n o f inte ra nnua l va ria b ility;
- C o nsid e ra b le sc ie ntific a nd te c hno lo g ic a l c ha lle ng e s re m a in in the d e ve lo p m e nt o f re m o te se nsing te c hno lo g ie s to m e a sure a nd m o nito r b io m a ss c ha ng e s with a hig h d e g re e o f a c c ura c y.
The Inte rg o ve rnm e nta l Pa ne l o n C lim a te C ha ng e (IPC C ) ha s a p p ro ve d
sta nd a rd m e tho d s fo r m e a suring e missio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n in se ve ra l re p o rts (1996, 2003, 2006). The hig he r the sa te llite im a g e ’ s re so lutio n, the m o re it c o sts.
De g ra d a tio n, w hic h c a use s c a rb o n e m issio ns b ut d o e s no t c o m p le te ly d e stro y fo re st, c a n a lso b e m e a sure d , b ut re q uire s m o re so p histic a te d a nd e xp e nsive m e tho d s5. Inc lud ing d e g ra d a tio n in a d e fo re sta tio n re g im e is like ly to
sig nific a ntly inc re a se the b urd e n o f m o nito ring , a nd c o nse q ue ntly c a p a c ity
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DeFries 2004; Achard et al 2006; Houghton 2005. 5
The re is b ro a d a g re e m e nt tha t the p o st-2012 e m issio ns c o ntro l re g im e sho uld inc lud e inc e ntive s to re d uc e e m issio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n fo r tro p ic a l c o untrie s a nd tha t a ny re d uc tio ns m ust b e re a l a nd ve rifia b le . The re is a lso b ro a d
a g re e m e nt tha t if Anne x I Pa rtie s a re to use re d uc e d d e fo re sta tio n to m e e t p a rt o f the ir na tio na l c o m m itm e nts, the y m ust ta ke c o rre sp o nd ing ly d e e p e r
re d uc tio n ta rg e ts. Re lia b le fund ing is ne e d e d fo r a ll d e ve lo p ing c o untrie s w he re tro p ic a l d e fo re sta tio n o c c urs, a nd the re is a g re e me nt tha t a va rie ty o f fund ing so urc e s a nd p o lic y o p tio ns will b e ne e d e d to a c hie ve na tio na l le ve l re d uc tio ns in d e fo re sta tio n.
The re a re a va rie ty o f m a rke t a nd no n- m a rke t p o lic y o p tio ns o n the ta b le to re d uc e e m issio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n. NG O s a nd m a ny Pa rtie s g e ne ra lly a g re e tha t b o th m a rke t a nd no n-m a rke t inc e ntive s will b e ne e d e d to p ro vid e
a d e q ua te re so urc e s to a ffe c t d e fo re sta tio n ra te s. Bo th a p p ro a c he s ha ve p ro s a nd c o ns. So m e a rg ue tha t if d e fo re sta tio n re d uc tio ns a re re a l a nd ve rifia b le the y sho uld b e fre e ly tra d a b le fo r fo ssil fue l re d uc tio ns o r e m issio ns a llo w a nc e s, o r “ fully fung ib le ” . O the rs a re c o nc e rne d tha t a llo wing fo re st c re d its unlim ite d a c c e ss to c a rb o n m a rke ts will w e a ke n inc e ntive s fo r re d uc ing fo ssil fue l
e m issio ns.
Fina nc ing fro m so urc e s no t c o up le d to the inte rna tio na l c a rb o n m a rke t is a lso p o ssib le . Ho w e ve r, a fund a p p ro a c h m a y no t b e a b le to p ro vid e e no ug h fund ing to m e e t d e ve lo p ing c o untry ne e d s.
Figure 2. Deforestation in the Amazon. Source: Greg Asner, Stanford University and Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, CA, USA
Figure 3. Schoolhouse, La Union Cooperative, R.A.A.S., Nicaragua
Inc e ntive s fo r re d uc ing e m issio ns fro m d e fo re sta tio n m a y o ffe r p o te ntia l b e ne fits a s w e ll a s risks fo r ind ig e no us p e o p le s. In m o st o f the tro p ic a l w o rld , ind ig e no us p e o p le s no t o nly d o no t b e ne fit fro m the a c tivitie s tha t d rive d e fo re sta tio n (ind ustria l a g ric ulture , c a ttle ra nc hing , lo g g ing ) b ut lo se la nd , live liho o d s a nd life -w a ys b e c a use o f the m . Sto p p ing d e fo re sta tio n w o uld itse lf b e ne fit m a ny ind ig e no us g ro up s. Na tio na l syste m s c a n a nd sho uld b e d e sig ne d with
ind ig e no us p e o p le s a nd e nsure tha t the y b e ne fit. Fo r e xa m p le , the “ Ag re e m e nt o n Ac kno wle d g ing the Va lue o f the Fo re st a nd End ing Am a zo n De fo re sta tio n” la unc he d O c to b e r 3, 2007 b y nine Bra zilia n NG O s, with the sup p o rt o f Bra zil’ s Ministry o f Enviro nm e nt, fo ur Am a zo n sta te g o ve rnm e nts, a nd the Na tio na l Ba nk fo r Ec o no m ic a nd So c ia l De ve lo p m e nt, o utline s a na tio na l syste m o f fina nc ia l inc e ntive s fo r e c o syste m se rvic e s a nd e nd ing d e fo re sta tio n tha t w o uld inc lud e ind ig e no us a nd tra d itio na l p e o p le s a s m a jo r b e ne fic ia rie s.
p o llina to rs, w a te r re g ula tio n, tim b e r a nd fo o d p ro visio n a s we ll a s m a ny o the r b e ne fits to a g ric ulture a nd rura l c o m m unitie s.9
Figure 4. Lowland swamp forest and mangroves, R.A.A.S., Nicaragua
Pro g ra m m e e xa m p le s c o m b ining c o m m unity, e nviro nm e nt a nd c lim a te b e ne fits
The Pilo t Pro g ra m to Pro te c t the Bra zilia n Ra in Fo re st (PP-G 7) a nd the Am a zo n Re g io n Pro te c te d Are a s (ARPA) p ro g ra m , Bra zil:
The a im o f PP-G 7 w a s to re d uc e d e fo re sta tio n in the Bra zilia n Am a zo n, w hile ARPA a im s to e xp a nd the a m o unt o f p ro te c te d a re a s in the re g io n a nd to susta in this p ro te c tio n in the lo ng te rm .
PP-G 7 initia te d a la rg e ra ng e o f p ro je c ts to re d uc e d e fo re sta tio n, m a ny invo lving lo c a l c o m m unitie s. ARPA, fund e d b y the Bra zilia n G o ve rnm e nt, the G e rm a n De ve lo p m e nt Ba nk, the G EF a nd WWF, e sta b lishe s ne w p a rks a nd re se rve s a nd stre ng the ns m a na g e m e nt o f o ld o ne s. To susta in the re se rve s in the lo ng te rm , a Trust Fund is b e ing se t up .
In ARPA, lo c a l c o m m unitie s a re invo lve d in se tting up susta ina b le use re se rve s, while in PP-G 7 ind ig e no us la nd s w e re le g a lly re c o g nize d a nd d e m a rc a te d , susta ina b le use b y lo c a l c o m m unitie s wa s sup p o rte d , a nd c o m m unitie s sta rte d ta king p a rt in fo re st m a na g e m e nt a nd m o nito ring . Also , a so c ia l ne two rk o f o ve r 700 c ivil so c ie ty o rg a niza tio ns w a s initia te d . PP-G 7 a nd ARPA w e re no t d e sig ne d to q ua ntify the a m o unt o f g re e nho use g a s e m issio ns the y a ve rt.
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Ho we ve r, b o th m o st like ly ha ve c o ntrib ute d to re d uc e d d e fo re sta tio n a nd thus
At the sa m e tim e , the re is b ro a d a g re e m e nt tha t se ve ra l d iffe re nt fina nc ia l m e c ha nism s will b e ne c e ssa ry to a c c o m p lish the se g o a ls: c a rb o n m a rke ts, fund s, d e ve lo p m e nt a id a nd / o r le nd ing . The Ba li C O P a nd sub se q ue nt
