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A Small-Scale Forestry Perspective on Constraints to Including REDD in International Carbon Markets

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Abstract

In this article the authors contend that the constraints to including reduced emissions from avoided tropical forest deforestation and degradation in international carbon markets stem from problems associated with: (1) correctly measuring emissions savings from avoided tropical forest deforestation and degradation; (2) the permanence and ‘leakage’ of tropical forest conservation regimes; (3) ensuring economic incentives for the avoidance of tropical forest deforestation and degradation are sufficiently effective; (4) the exclusion of reduced emissions from avoided tropical forest deforestation and degradation from critical international climate change policy agreements; and (5) the behaviour of investors in carbon markets. Case analysis of the ‘Emissions Biodiversity Exchange Project for the 21st Century’ (EBEX21) program of Landcare Research New Zealand is used to examine how a government-supported market-based forest conservation initiative can be used to address these constraints, particularly in the context of small-scale forestry conservation.

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Notes

  1. Decision 11 of COP7, paragraph A1, defines a forest as ‘a minimum area of land of 0.05–1.0 hectares with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10–30 per cent with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2–5 m at maturity in situ···’. This forest definition is often called the Kyoto Forest Definition. It also defines deforestation as ‘the direct human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land’. Paragraph E16 requires each Annex 1 country to select the minimum tree cover area and height applicable to that country and justify that selection. Decision 19 of COP9 has a similar requirement in relation to countries within which CDM projects are located. Up to COP 15, there has been no decision on the forest and deforestation definitions to be applied for REDD+ implementation.

  2. In relation to climate change mitigation efforts from forests in the Kyoto Protocol, IPCC (2003) defined forest degradation as ‘A direct human-induced long-term loss (persisting for X years or more) of at least Y% of forest carbon stocks[and forest values] since time T and not qualifying as deforestation or an elected activity under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol···’ IPCC acknowledged that there is no solid definition for Kyoto forest degradation as current available definitions cannot accommodate criteria required.

  3. The New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme recognizes offset credits from avoided deforestation, although this is limited to avoided deforestation projects located in New South Wales (Bayon et al. 2007).

  4. 1 USD = 1.7NZD (as at 18th May 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Integrated Systems, University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Paul Dargusch, K. Lawrence, J. Herbohn &  Medrilzam

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  1. Paul Dargusch
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  2. K. Lawrence
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  3. J. Herbohn
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Correspondence to Paul Dargusch.

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Dargusch, P., Lawrence, K., Herbohn, J. et al. A Small-Scale Forestry Perspective on Constraints to Including REDD in International Carbon Markets. Small-scale Forestry 9, 485–499 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-010-9141-z

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