The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC is considering a scheme known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) where countries would be paid to leave their forests intact. Discuss how this scheme could be designed to form an effective part of global efforts to control climate change.
The late 1980s mark the start of global efforts to control climate change. The United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) project was originally introduced in Montreal in 2005 (UNFCCC). It is an invaluable supplement to the current Kyoto Protocol and future climate change agreements as it brings up forests protection as a means of cutting down GHG emissions. Essentially, studies show that 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions originate from deforestation and that the amount emitted was 5.8 Gigattonnes in the 1990s (UNFCCC). Helping developing countries have a sustainable economic growth through paying them to preserve their forests will also aid industrialized countries in the process of meeting their emission targets (The Economist, 2009). Undoubtedly, REDD is a great challenge, but a promising opportunity to enhance the already existing treaty on climate change.
Negotiations began in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 where an emphasis was put on management, conservation and sustainable development of forests and on the strengthening of national institutions and human, technical and professional, skills (UN, Agenda 21, 1992). The Intergovernmental Panel (IPCC) on climate change was established in 1988 by United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Association (WMO) in order to present scientifically the state of global climate (IPCC). The IPCC Good Practice Guidance for LULUCF under which the REDD scheme operates was introduced in 2003 (IPCC Brochure, n.d., p.8). The First IPCC Assessment Report in 1990 led to the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), "the key international treaty to reduce global warming and cope with the consequences of climate change" (IPCC). The Second IPCC Assessment Report, 1995, led to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 (IPCC), the first official agreement under which countries are expected to cut their greenhouse gas emission by 5 % in the period 2008-2012 (the baseline being 1990) (UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, 1998, p.4), which as it turns out suffers from an essential drawback - countries receive credits for planting new trees, but not for preventing the cutting of existing trees (The Economist, 2009). It was the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report of 2007 that laid the grounds for the Bali Road Map of 2007 (IPCC Brochure, n.d., p.7), under which deforestation and forest degradation's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions was acknowledged (UNFCCC, Bali Action Plan, 2008, p.8). Moreover, the necessity to take actions from implementation to monitoring and assessment was recognized (Ibid.). Finally, although unsuccessful according to world leaders (José Manuel Barosso, Gordon Brown) in terms of the creation of a "legally binding agreement" (BBC, 2009), the Copenhagen Accord (2010) signatories reaffirmed the importance of reducing deforestation and forest degradation and reached a consensus on the significance of proving incentives such as the establishment of a mechanism, including REDD+, to "enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries" (UNFCCC, Copenhagen Accord, 2010, p.6). There was a commitment of providing USD $ 100 billion for the needs of the developing countries each year until 2020 (UNFCCC, Copenhagen Accord, 2010, p.7). Funding is supposed to come from private, public, bilateral and multilateral sources (Ibid.). Moreover, the Copenhagen Accord Green Fund was "established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to support projects, programme, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation including REDD-plus, adaptation, capacity building, technology development and transfer" (Ibid.).
Essentially, deforestation and forest degradation release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis, forest fires and peat burning. The main sources of deforestation are the conversion of land into cattle breeding ranches, commercial agriculture land, logging, colonization, and road-building (BBC, 2009). Data shows that the amount of CO2 emissions is comparable with the whole European Union's emissions (Ibid.), or alternatively "more than all the world's trains, cars, lorries, aeroplanes and ships combined" (The Economist, 2009).
The assessment of the REDD scheme's contribution to curbing climate change is subject to great scrutiny. Undoubtedly, REDD enriches the technical framework of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - a market-based flexibility mechanism introduced by the Protocol under which developed countries finance carbon-reduction projects in developing counties and receive carbon-offsetting credits - by adding to the list forest preservation schemes (Grafton et al., 2004, p.419). Therefore, paying local communities to protect their forests is seen as a channel through which industrialized countries are assisted in achieving their GHG emission targets (The Economist, 2009). Similar actions are already taking place in Indonesia, the country with the highest level of CO2 emissions after the USA and China (UN-REDD). In particular, the Ulu Masen project works by calculating what the reduction of carbon emissions from saving trees is (BBC, 2009). Then the estimates are converted into carbon-offset credits that are sold to rich countries (Ibid.). Finally, the raised funds are invested into improving life in local communities. In the case of the Juma reserve (Brazil), local people are given debit cards and if trees are preserved then they receive $30 per month (Ibid.). Norway finances a project of rainforest preservation in Guyana (Ibid.). However, REDD puts an emphasis on the need of regional and national cooperation. According to Hans Brattscar [1] the biggest" strength of the UN-REDD Programme is that you have a focal point within the UN system that can pull on the resources of different agencies that has representation in all tropical forests" (UN-REDD). The programme already has 29 partner countries, 12 of which are supported for their activities on a national level: Bolivia, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia (Ibid.). In Bolivia, DRC, Indonesia, Panama, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia the programmes are already being implemented (Ibid.). At an informal meeting of experts on enhancing coordination of capacity-building activities in relation to using the IPCC guidance and guidelines as a basis for estimating forest-related greenhouse gas emissions and removals, forest carbon stocks and forest area changes, held in Bonn, 25-26 May, 2010 there have been presented experiences from Indonesia, Mexico and Guyana and technical models (UNFCCC, Bonn Unofficial Meeting Report, 2010). Canada's National Forest Carbon Monitoring, Accounting and Reporting System is a model which incorporates management and forest inventory information (Ibid., pp.4-5). It has already been tested in Tasmania (Australia), Russia, Spain, Republic of Korea and Mexico and complies with IPCC good practice guidance for LULUCF and IPCC Guidelines (Ibid.). However, it still needs scientific and technological improvements (Ibid.). Optical satellite imaging for monitoring has also been given attention to (French Guyana) (UNFCCC, Presentation by Loisel, 2010). The capacity of monitoring is quite large in Africa, but small in Asia (UNFCCC, Presentation by Herold, 2010, p.2). There has also been launched a web platform where information about deforestation and forest degradation emissions and outcomes of projects can be shared with the Subsidy Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) (UNFCCC). Moreover, the Colorado State University created Agriculture and Land Use National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Software (Colorado State University). According to the Bali Action Plan (2008) there need to be adequate "policy approaches and positive incentives" for forest protection in developing countries (2008, p.3). There needs to be adequate "policy approaches and positive incentives" (UNFCCC, Bali Action Plan, 2008, p.3) for forest protection in developing countries. If there is sustainable forest management and coordinated conduct, i.e. governments and local communities cooperate, 90% reduction of deforestation emissions can be achieved with $20 billion (UNFCCC).
However, there are several significant obstacles that REDD faces in achieving its goal. Firstly, critics see this programme as a means for rich counties to abandon their obligations for domestic emissions cuts (BBC, 2009) and it is exclusively stated by the United Nations that "REDD+ activities in developing countries must complement, not be a substitute for, deep cuts in developed countries' emissions" (UN-REDD). According the Greenpeace cheap offset credits will appear on the market that will create no incentive for industries to become more environmentally friendly (BBC, 2009). Secondly, there still is not present a clear mechanism for compliance monitoring and for measuring carbon that is stored in trees (Ibid.). Moreover, there are concerns about funds reaching the right hands as most of the countries where REDD+ schemes are implemented or will be implemented in the near future suffer from corrupt political conduct (Ibid.).
In conclusion, REDD is "very cost-effective" (UNFCCC) and REDD+ schemes should be part of the daily agenda. Current issues regarding the success of REDD are property rights on carbon and ecosystem services monitoring, reporting and verification. In particular, attention is paid to the establishment of a reference level, monitoring based on gross or net emissions, carbon accounting, the role of indigenous people and women. All of these are expected to be discussed at the ongoing meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Moreover, REDD+ Partnership wants to establish its own 2-year programme for 2011-2012 (REDD Plus, 2010). A recent positive development was announced on 1st December - Brazilian Amazon experienced its lowest rate of deforestation in 22 years due to improved monitoring and policy control (BBC, 2010).
