This is a presentation of some of the results of my PhD project. I presented it in September 2013 to the Environmental Politics Research Group at Lund University, Sweden.
1. NOT SEEING THE FOREST FOR
THE CARBON IN THE TREES ?
(ITC/U Twente)
(ITC/U Twente)
(IISD)
The role of fighting tropical deforestation
in global climate governance
Benjamin Stephan
(IO 9)
2. WHAT IS REDD+ ?
Reducing emissions from
deforestation and degradation and
„the conservation, sustainable
management of forests and
enhancement of forest carbon
stocks“ (UNFCCC 2010, 1/CP16)
(Conservation International)
4. WHAT IS REDD+ ?
Estimating the Opportunity
Costs of REDD+
A training manual
opportunity cost
payments
tisation
mone
carbon m
(flickr:
B
ar kets
aron V
isuals)
5. RESEARCH INTERESTS
How can the massive attention and broad support for
REDD+ be explained in light of the marginalised and
controversial role deforestation had during earlier
phases of international climate negotiations ?
How is deforestation, and together with it the
mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, being made
governable through REDD+ ?
How is avoided deforestation transformed into carbon credits ?
6. THESIS
1.
The Third Side of the Coin: Hegemony and
governmentality in global climate politics
2.
From Pariah to Messiah: Avoiding deforestation
in international climate governance
3.
4.
5.
Governing the Forest Frontier
Bringing Discourse to the Market
How to trade „not cutting down trees“
13. d benefits
REDD+ = HEGEMONIC PROJECT
‘Immediate action on REDD+ can catalyze accelerated
national development in addition to curbing carbon
emissions. Healthy forests sustain biodiversity and
ecosystem services, ensuring clean water, productive soils,
and protection against floods and droughts — helping
countries adapt to climate change, food security and
generally improving the wellbeing of people.‘ (UN-REDD 2010)
D2
(UN-RED
011)
(UN-REDD
(UN-REDD 2011
)
2011)
21. REDD+‘S CHAIN OF EQUIVALENCE
...
biodiversity
loss
=
climate
change
= deforestation =
poverty
...
antagonism
REDD+
...
biodiversity
protection
=
reducing emissions
from deforestation
=
poverty
alleviation
sustainable
development
=
human
well-being
=
...
22. From Pariah to Messiah
95
‘CO-BENEFITS‘ OF REDD+
Figure 4: (Co-)Benefits provided through REDD+11
poverty
human well-being
provision of
reduction
livelihoods
fire wood
protection of
biodiversity
air quality
water
regulation
sustainable
education
resilience to
medicine
survial
social cohesion
clarification of
health
food (security)
development
genetic ressources
protection of habitat
jobs
energy
land tenure
pollination
climate change
national security
culture & tradition
indigenous peoples
livelihoods
rights
25. MORE THAN GOVERNING
THROUGH MARKETS
‘The Tapuia, a fictional indigenous group based on a real tribe, lives on a legally
protected reserve [in the Amazon]... the Tapuia have rights to REDD[+] credits
for up to 100,000 tons of CO2 per year, depending both on how successful
they are at keeping their reserve intact and on Brazil’s overall performance in
curbing deforestation. After their project is certified by the Amazon Fund, the
Space Research Agency monitors changes in land cover on Tapuia lands on
behalf of the tribe... men from the Tapuia tribe patrolling the borders of their
reserve find the tracks of a logger’s truck... Using their legal authority to control
their reserve, the Tapuia radio the GPS coordinates of the logger’s trail to
government agents who arrest the loggers, confiscate their equipment, and
close the mill that had been pro- cessing the illegally harvested wood. The pickup truck, fuel, GPS, and radio used by the Tapuia tribesmen are all paid for by
the Tapuia REDD[+] project, which is certified under the Amazon Fund
REDD[+] program, and paid for by investors...‘
(EDF 2009)
33. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
site for commercial
wood exploitation
forest
34. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
site for commercial
wood exploitation
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
35. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
site for commercial
wood exploitation
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
massive gene pool
36. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
site for commercial
wood exploitation
sacred place
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
massive gene pool
37. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
livelihood
sacred place
site for commercial
wood exploitation
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
massive gene pool
38. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
livelihood
water reservoir
sacred place
site for commercial
wood exploitation
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
massive gene pool
39. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
livelihood
water reservoir
sacred place
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
site for commercial
wood exploitation
carbon sink
massive gene pool
40. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
livelihood
water reservoir
sacred place
forest
biodiversity
hotspot
site for commercial
wood exploitation
carbon sink
massive gene pool
41. FOREST‘S FIELD OF DISCURSIVITY
livelihood
water reservoir
sacred place
forest
site for commercial
wood exploitation
carbon sink
biodiversity
hotspot
massive gene pool
45. Forest‘s Field of Discursivity
coal fired power
plant in the UK
forest
carbon sink
tons of CO2eq
46. Forest‘s Field of Discursivity
coal fired power
plant in the UK
forest
carbon sink
tons of CO2eq
blast furnace
in Germany
47. Forest‘s Field of Discursivity
coal fired power
plant in the UK
wind farm in
China
forest
carbon sink
tons of CO2eq
blast furnace
in Germany
48. Forest‘s Field of Discursivity
coal fired power
plant in the UK
cement plant in
India
wind farm in
China
forest
carbon sink
tons of CO2eq
blast furnace
in Germany
49. Carbonification of Forests
coal fired power
plant in the UK
cement plant in
India
wind farm in
China
forest
carbon sink
tons of CO2eq
blast furnace
in Germany
50. WANT TO KNOW MORE ?
Methmann, C., Rothe, D. and Stephan, B. (eds),
2013, Interpretive Approaches to Global Climate
Governance: Deconstructing the Greenhouse.
London: Routledge