| Recent events or conferences: The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań |
Massive deforestation leading to climate change, species loss 2008-12-07
Poznan (Poland), Dec 8 (IANS) Deforestation is leading to close to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn are leading to climate change and possible extinction of 20-30 percent of all species on earth.
Negotiators at the Dec 1-12 summit of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in this western Poland city are struggling to find money for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in a post-2012 climate deal.
More Intact forests could be worth US$580M yearly 2008-12-06
The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanism could be a boon to countries like Guyana with standing forests and the position paper asserted that any REDD mechanism “must support the creation of economic alternatives that exceed the economic value to a nation (EVN) generated by pursuing rational economic activities involving deforestation”. The glossy 33-page document then proceeded to lay out a methodology for estimating the EVN. However, the vexed question of how to finance such a mechanism was not addressed.
More EU Puts Up $1.3B Annually For Climate Change 2008-12-06
The European Union has announced that it will set aside up to €1 billion (US$1.3b) per year for reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries in an effort to address climate change.
This was announced by EU spokesperson Brice Lalonde, who is also French delegate to the world climate change summit underway in Poznan, Poland. France is the current chair of the EU.
REDD faces challenges but can succeed, says report 2008-12-05
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), a forest policy think tank, today released its assessment on the proposed REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) mechanism for slowing climate change.
The report, titled "Moving ahead with REDD: Issues, options and implications", reviews the challenges facing REDD and makes policy recommendations to make the mechanism more agreeable to climate negotiators.
Terra Global Capital's REDD Methodology Under Validation 2008-12-04
Terra Global Capital, LLC announces that it has submitted the world's first REDD (Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation) methodology for validation to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). The methodology was developed in collaboration with Community Forestry International Inc. It defines how carbon offsets generated by activities that reduce deforestation and forest degradation can be calculated, monitored, and verified under the highly rigorous VCS AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use) guidelines.
More Tropical forest carbon monitoring gets big boost 2008-12-04
A new and improved tool to monitor deforestation and degradation in tropical forests has just gotten a huge boost. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology with a $1.6-million grant to expand and improve CLASLite (The Carnegie Landsat Analysis System Lite), a new, user-friendly method that enables even the smallest governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to map tropical forests from their desktops. The technology will rapidly advance deforestation and degradation mapping in Latin America, and will help rain forest nations better monitor their changing carbon budgets.
More Paying Our Climate Debt 2008-12-04
The first two issues — commonly referred to as "mitigation" and "adaptation" costs — are only recently being sketched out in any detail. And the final issue — which institution handles the money once it materializes — hasn't been seriously debated in any public way. However, it's this last detail that's being taken up with a degree of urgency by some governments and civil society groups gathering now in Poznań, Poland, for the United Nations climate negotiations.
More REDD may harm forest people, alleges report 2008-12-02
A new report finds that the World Bank is not doing enough to protect indigenous rights under its mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). "Cutting Corners" alleges that the Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) — which provides seed funding for REDD projects — has rushed its review process and is failing to follow its own rules set to protect indigenous people and forest communities. Such groups fear that without a proper framework, REDD could be used by governments and carbon traders to force forest people off their lands.
More FACTBOX-Forest preservation-carbon credit schemes in Asia 2008-10-29
U.N. climate change talks in Bali last December formally launched pilot projects for a pay-and-preserve scheme that would allow developing nations to potentially earn billions of dollars by keeping their rainforests standing.
Under the U.N.-backed process, called reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), rich nations would meet some of their emissions reduction targets by buying carbon credits from developing nations, whose forests soak up vast amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2).
More Indonesia Fights Climate Change Through Norwegian-funded Initative 2008-10-02
Norway is financing the initial phase of the initiative, which will be carried out by three UN agencies. Indonesia is one of nine countries that have already expressed formal interest in receiving assistance from the so-called UN-REDD Programme, that was announced by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Norwegian Prime Jens Stoltenberg on 24 September 2008. The Norwegian contribution to the first phase will be USD 35 million.
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