Large, commercial agriculture and timber enterprises are the principal agents of tropical deforestation, with four key commodities—soy, beef, palm oil, and pulp and paper—driving up to 50 percent of tropical deforestation. These drivers of deforestation differ by region. Soy and cattle are key in South America, while timber, paper, and palm oil are more important in Southeast Asia.
Forest loss in developing countries represents a significant contribution to global emissions along with significant climate change mitigation potential. How Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries; and the Role of Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests, and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks (REDD+) will be incentivized in a future climate agreement is still being negotiated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The objective of this paper is to evaluate the potential of a range of market and non-market policy options available to developing countries willing to contribute to a global climate chnage solution by reducing emissions from deforestaion and forest degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) and to deliver additional co-benefits. The covered policy options are domestic market-based instruments (MBIs), direct regulation of land clearing, payments for results, and environmental impact assessment.
This paper provides an overview of relevant Conference of Parties (COP) decisions and the current status of negotiations on finance issues related to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degregation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+).
See Terra's lastest news and speaking engagements at the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties and the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol is taking place from 1 to 12 December. COP 20/CMP 10 is being hosted by the Government of Peru, in Lima, Peru.
