Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Development ITEC-SCAAP Programme, Government of India July 2009 Pallavi Pant

Background

Source: Coalition for Rainforest Nations, 2007. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries.

Sectoral Emissions Source: IPCC, 2007. Summary for Policymakers, In: B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, L.A. Meyer eds. 2007. Climate Change2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK & New York, USA: Cambridge University Press.

Current Scenario The COP7 negotiations in Marrakech (2001) concluded with inclusion of only afforestation/ reforestation (A/R) projects while leaving avoided deforestation out of the framework. Countries can be rewarded for planting new trees, but they are not compensated for avoiding cutting trees

Barriers: Using forests for climate change mitigation Technical concerns Risks Miscellaneous Uncertainty about the Issue of sovereignty of estimation of avoided Non-permanence of nations; forests were not deforestation and forestry projects due to considered as a global estimation of hot air natural or anthropogenic public good (Engel & disturbances Palmer, 2008) Uncertainty about the scale for emissions Concern for leakage; Fear of dilution of reduction avoided deforestation in emissions reduction from one region may result in fossil fuel use due to Uncertainty about the increased deforestation in larger scale of carbon drivers of deforestation; another region credits generated from assumed to be diverse avoided deforestation and complex

Timeline REDD Reducing emissions from deforestation Avoiding and deforestation degradation ? RED REDD+ REDD along Reducing with emissions conservation from and deforestation enhancement of forest carbon stocks

Bali Action Plan, 2007 Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

About REDD

What is REDD  A set of meaningful actions to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (Esteban et al., 2008)  A carbon conservation mechanism; distinct from Afforestation/Reforestation under Clean Development Mechanism  Considered to be a cheap, quick, significant and win- win solution (Angelsen, 2009)

Activities under REDD Changes in Reduced negative Enhanced positive change change Afforestation and Forest area (hectare) Reduced deforestation reforestation Forest restoration, Carbon density (carbon rehabilitation, and Reduced degradation per hectare) sustainable forest management Source: Meridian Institute. 2009. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD): An Options Assessment Report. Prepared for the Government of Norway, by Arild Angelsen, Sandra Brown, Cyril Loisel, Leo Peskett, Charlotte Streck, and Daniel Zarin. [Online] Available at: http://unfccc.int/files/methods_science/redd/country_specific_information/application/pdf/redd_oar_english.pdf [Accessed 25 March 2009]

Key requirements for REDD Technical Active capacity for stakeholder monitoring involvement changes in and forest cover participation Robust political Clear and structure that well-defined supports the land tenure REDD mechanism

Costs Improvement in forest governance- changes in policies and institutional arrangements Financial inflow into REDD markets can be risky (due to non-permanence) Forest protection can result in decreased income for local people Monitoring, reporting and verification

Contd.  Opportunity cost:  REDD credits vs. commercial logging of forest products  Use of forest land forest cash cropping  Costs for monitoring and assessment  Costs for changes in forest governance

Benefits Capacity building opportunities for local communities; participation in collective decision-making; poverty alleviation Greater financial flow into developing countries; economic cost of the mitigation activity is low Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded forests; sustaining/preserving ecosystem services; biodiversity conservation; SFM; watershed protection; soil conservation

REDD Options

Fundamentals Scope Reference Level Financing • Refers to the • Refers to the • Refers to the activities, carbon reference period source of money pools, and and scale against for REDD countries that are which the activities-who considered activities within pays and for eligible for the scope are what generating measured emissions reductions under REDD

Alternatives Options for REDD.doc Source: Parker, C., Mitchell, A., Trivedi, M. & Mardas, N., 2008. The little REDD Book: A guide to governmental and non- governmental proposals for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation. [Online] Oxford: Global Canopy Programme. Available at: http://www.globalcanopy.org/m ain.php?m=5&sm=24&ssm=65 &sssm=147 [Accessed 13 January 2009].

How do we achieve the objective? Establishment Strict, effective of Protected implementation Areas of forest laws Incentives to Use of agro- landowners to forestry, refores not cut down tation, reduced trees or impact logging degrade forest etc

Best Case scenario  Good forest governance  Broad stakeholder agreement is achieved  Long-term strategy is in place or likely to be implemented  Clear reference scenario established  Transparent verification & reporting of emission reductions  No disputes regarding the ownership of carbon  Revenues go where they are needed (transparent system)

Initiatives

UN Collaborative Programme on REDD in Developing Countries  Aids readiness efforts in countries by developing national strategies, establishing robust monitoring systems, assessing program status, reporting and verifying forest cover and carbon stocks, and building necessary capacities  Offers all-inclusive assistance to countries that are preparing for and implementing REDD activities  PNG is a member

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility  Funded by World Bank  Aims to provide a framework for piloting activities to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.  Supports developing countries in their initiatives on REDD  Consists of a Readiness Mechanism and a Carbon Finance Mechanism and  The largest initiative, both monetarily ands as per participation

Other Programmes  International Forest and Climate Initiative  Funded by Norway  Fundo Amazonia, Amazon Fund  Funded by the Government of Brazil  International Forest Carbon Initiative  Funded by Australia  Congo Basin Forest Fund  Funded by UK and Norway

Case Studies

Demonstration Activities What and Where • More than 40 pilot studies • Mostly focused in Latin America, Indonesia Activities undertaken • Land use planning and land tenure development • Forest restoration • Sustainable forest management Key benefits • GHG emissions reduction • Community development • Biodiversity conservation

Noel Kempff Climate Action Project  Location: Northeastern Bolivia  Area: 642500 ha  Activities: Land protection, organizational empowerment, land tenure development, education, sustainable forestry training, land use planning  Emissions reduction: 5.8 MtCO2e over 30 years  Co-benefits: Protection of wildlife habitat and rivers, decrease in soil erosion; Creation of jobs, community development  The first forest emissions reduction project to be verified by a third party based on international standards used in the Kyoto Protocol Source: http://www.eoearth.org/upload/thumb/6/6e/Checktree_ca rbon_emissions.jpg/350px- Checktree_carbon_emissions.jpg

Ulu Masen Ecosystem, Aceh, Indonesia  Location: Aceh Province, Indonesia  Area: 750528 ha  Activities: Land protection, organizational empowerment, land tenure development, education, sustainable forestry training, land use planning  Emissions reduction: 100 MtCO2e over 30 years  Co-benefits: Local economic development, capacity building, alternative livelihoods

Issues  Leakage- national & international  Permanence  Pest attacks, disease, fire outbreak  Theory of Forest Transition  Perverse Incentives  Pressure on other ecosystems  Flexibility

Food for thought How is REDD significant, quick, cheap, win-win??

Comments? Questions? pallavipnt@gmail.com

Forestry and Climate Change Mitigation  Carbon Sequestration  Direct removal of CO2 from the atmosphere through afforestation, reforestation, improved silvicultural techniques for improved growth rate, implementation of agro-forestry systems etc  Carbon Substitution  Replacement of fossil fuels with biomass fuels through the use of bio-energy or replacing energy-intensive products such as steel and concrete and using wood-based fuels as substitutes for fossil fuels for energy generation, transport, heating  Carbon Conservation  Includes methods to preserve or conserve the existing carbon stocks in the form of biomass and soil carbon

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

by Pallavi Pant on Jul 18, 2009

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Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation — Presentation Transcript