By Chris Lang
A new report by Friends of the Earth International published today takes a critical look at REDD. The report concludes that “The REDD proposals currently on the table are intended to generate profits for polluters, not to stop climate change. They must be replaced with a commitment to stop deforestation once and for all.”
In an interview with The Guardian this week, FoEI’s Joseph Zacune comments on proposals to reduce emissions from deforestation through carbon markets: “This is very concerning, because there is genuine risk that all of these kinds of proposals would provide a get out of jail free card to rich nations. It would allow them to buy their way out of emissions reductions. It would create the climate regime’s biggest ever loophole and would remove any environmental integrity from a post 2012 deal.”
The English version of the report, “REDD myths: a critical review of proposed mechanisms to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries” can be downloaded here (other languages available below).
FoEI’s press release:
Forest carbon trading exposed
On 1-12 December 2008, the Polish city of Poznań will host crucial United Nations climate talks amidst fears that dangerous forest carbon trading proposals will undermine the stated objectives of the negotiations, according to a new report issued today by Friends of the Earth International.
The environmental federation has been campaigning to protect forests and forest-dependent people for three decades. Its new report, ‘REDD Myths’, is a comprehensive critique of a new mechanism – known as REDD – to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries.
REDD is being negotiated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and scheduled to become a part of the post-2012 agreement that nations pledged to reach in Copenhagen in 2009.
Friends of the Earth International Climate and Energy Coordinator Joseph Zacune said:
“During the climate talks, we will be demanding that forests are kept out of carbon markets, that plantations are entirely excluded and land rights are enforced as the basis of any forest policy.
“If governments are serious about tackling climate change, deforestation must be stopped once and for all. To do this we need to tackle the consumption of agrofuels, meat and timber products which is driving deforestation and support good governance of forest resources.”
Deforestation and forest degradation are significant causes of climate change, accounting for as much as twenty percent of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Accelerating deforestation also threatens the world’s biodiversity, imperils the 60 million Indigenous People who are entirely dependent upon forests and disadvantages some 1.6 billion people who are heavily reliant on forests.
Friends of the Earth US climate campaigner Kate Horner said:
“It is alarming that such dangerous forest carbon trading proposals are getting traction at the UN talks while so many critical questions are left unanswered. We fear that this could be disastrous for biodiversity, the rights of forest-dependent communities around the world and even our climate. If forest carbon trading proposals are accepted, it would create the climate regime’s largest loophole by allowing rich countries to buy their way out of emission reductions.”
Read the report
Read the executive summary of the report here –
Read the full report –