By Chris Lang Last week, 23 researchers and experts published an article in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter titled, “Misleading and false myths about carbon offsets”. The article was initiated by Researchers Desk, a non-profit association set up in October 2019 in response to Greta Thunberg’s call to “listen to the researchers”.
Tag: REDD myths
Myths and deforestation
By Chris Lang “Unearthing the myths of global sustainable forest governance” is a paper published earlier this year in Global Sustainability. “One particularly dominant idea is that sustainability problems can be solved by treating them as predominantly economic problems to be solved by market-based instruments or by mobilizing enough financial resources,” the authors note in…
REDD myth no. 4: REDD will be quick and cheap
In December 2007, Norway’s then-prime minister Jens Stoltenberg launched Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Stoltenberg announced that Norway would be handing out more than US$500 million a year “to prevent deforestation in developing countries”. Stoltenberg was convinced that stopping deforestation would be quick and cheap.
REDD myth no. 3: To address climate change we have to reduce emissions from deforestation
“We have to reduce emissions from deforestation if we’re to prevent catastrophic climate change,” WWF argues on its website. At a first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. Forests store an awful lot of carbon. When forests are cleared for cattle ranching, or to make way for oil palm plantations, the carbon dioxide goes back…
REDD myth no. 2: Sustainable Forest Management
Sustainable Forest Management: The myth that cutting down the trees protects the forest. Even Rimbunan Hijau claims to practice sustainable forest management.