Most people are not surprised to learn that China and the United States are the two largest greenhouse gas emitting countries in the world – but the third and fourth largest emitters are not industrialized, Global North nations: they are Indonesia and Brazil, respectively. But whereas China and U.S. emissions are almost completely from burning fossil fuels, about three quarters of the national emissions in Indonesia and Brazil are from spreading destruction of their rainforests each year. In fact, tropical forest destruction is now responsible for approximately one-fifth of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Protecting these forests while also reducing fossil fuel emissions is critical to stabilize the climate, preserve global biodiversity, sustain the economy and protect the livelihoods of billions of people.
If done well, actions for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, also known as REDD, will ensure strengthened protection for forests, defense of the rights of indigenous peoples that are their customary inhabitants and address underlying causes that drive deforestation. If done wrong, REDD has the potential to be a huge problem for communities across the tropical world. REDD could mean another opportunity for rich companies and countries to profit off the forest while the people who live in the forests are kicked off the land and do not receive any of the profit being made off of forest conservation.
REDD is currently only a small part of the global market for carbon, and REDD carbon credits are mostly sold to companies and people who are interested in reducing their emissions voluntarily. This may change– and will likely change– as the international agreements on climate change (lead by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) are renegotiated. This will provide a much larger market for REDD credits, and will dramatically increase REDD’s impact in the forests of Borneo. Before these agreements are set it stone, it is vital that we work to ensure that the rights of communities to their land, and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) are enshrined in any agreement that is reached. [Much of the language in this section from RAN's REDD Factsheet, see below]
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RECENT UPDATES:
2.6.11: Malaysia Deforestation is three times faster than rest of Asia combined: http://borneoproject.org/updates/malaysia-deforestation-is-three-times-faster-than-rest-of-asia-combined
11.23.11: Top 10 Worst REDD Type Projects Affecting Indigenous Peoples: http://borneoproject.org/updates/%E2%80%98top-10%E2%80%99-worst-redd-type-projects-affecting-indigenous-peoples
11.28.11: First Person Updates from the Climate Talks at Durban: http://borneoproject.org/updates/first-person-updates-from-the-climate-talks-at-durban
1.12.12: Video Release From the Global Justice Ecology Project, A Darker Shade of Green REDD Alert and the Future of Forests: http://borneoproject.org/updates/video-release-from-the-global-justice-ecology-project-a-darker-shade-of-green-redd-alert-and-the-future-of-forests
1.20.12: New map shows rainforests store 229 billion tons of carbon: http://borneoproject.org/updates/new-map-shows-rainforests-store-229-billion-tons-of-carbon
1.28.12 Palm Oil does not meet U.S. Renewable Fuel Standards, Rules EPA: http://borneoproject.org/updates/the-u-s-environmental-protection-agency-ruled-on-friday-that-palm-oil-does-not-meet-the-u-s-renewable-fuels-standard
2.22.2012 Two Recent Studies Report on the Destruction of the Malaysian Rainforest: http://borneoproject.org/updates/two-recent-studies-report-on-the-destruction-of-the-malaysian-rainforest
3.27.12: Interviews on REDD with Tejo Pramono, La Via Campesina, and Elisha Kartini, SPI http://borneoproject.org/updates/interview-on-redd-with-tejo-pramono-la-via-campesina-and-elisha-kartini-spi
4.16.12: Bernadinus Steni Talks About HuMa and the Purpose of REDD: http://borneoproject.org/updates/read-this-interview-with-bernadinus-steni-about-huma-and-the-purpose-of-redd
4.19.12: Interview with Frank Momberg, from Fauna and Flora International addresses REDD+: http://borneoproject.org/updates/interview-with-frank-momberg-fauna-and-flora-international-a-redd-programme
5.1.12: The Story of REDD: A Real Solution to Deforestation: http://borneoproject.org/updates/the-story-of-redd-a-real-solution-to-deforestation
Here are some of the position pieces from our friends and allies:
REDD Monitor: Introduction to REDD
Rainforest Action Network: REDD factsheet
Carbon Trade Watch: No REDD Reader (with an article by project director Brihannala Morgan)
Global Justice Ecology Project: Why REDD is Wrong (co-authored by Brihannala Morgan)
Indigenous Environmental Network: Reaping Profits from Evictions, Land Grabs, Deforestation, and the Destruction of Biodiversity
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