…. I think I know?

If the latest developments at the Bali Summit are anything to go by -the answer to this question is going to become very contentious in the coming years. Armed with a mandate to cut, capture, and squester carbon; Governments, International Organisations, and private companies have been working hard at arriving at a means to bring forests under the carbon market – and possibly use carbon in forests as a tradable commodity. What this means for the future of our forests is uncertain.

There are several components that can be considered under the Forests and REDD – Reduction of emissions from Deforestation and Degraded Land in developing countries. Some of the big ones are afforestation programmes, deforestation reduction programmes, carbon capture and squestering (CCS), the rights on indigenous peoples and forest dwellers, the Clean Development Mechanism and conservation. Each carries with it an entire lexicon and phrase-ology of its own.

I mentioned in previous posts, it is one of the most interesting issues at the conference – and one I hope to deal with at length in my article for Frontline – which I shall have to work on very soon. In the meantime, jus to get interested readers up-to-speed, am appending to articles that I have written for the The Hindu. They should provide the briefest of introductions. Note that the articles correspond to standards of objectivity required in “Hard News” reportage – Shall write an opinion piece for Kafila soon. In the meantime, I would urge careful readers to read against, for, below, above and around the text.

Experts see thorny road ahead for deforestation negotiations

Bali: As the UNFCCC World Climate Change Conference crossed the 10,000-attendee mark, delegates braced themselves for what could be one most difficult and divisive issues of what could constitute “The Bali Breakthrough.” “The working group on Reduction of Emissions by Deforestation (and Degradation) in Developing Countries (REDD) was constituted and has begun work today,” stated UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer in his daily press briefing at the World Climate Change Summit on Thursday.

The working group is tasked with arriving at a mechanism to incorporate deforestation reduction into the framework of the Kyoto Protocol and the carbon market. Read the rest of this article
Consensus reached at climate change meet
NUSA DUA (BALI): As negotiations at the U.N. Climate Change conference gathered critical momentum ahead of ministerial talks on Wednesday, delegates claimed to have arrived at a consensus on two major issues: the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in developing countries (REDD), and the stewardship of the Adaptation Fund designed to help developing countries deal with impact of climate change.

“Mitigation is finally beginning to pay for adaptation,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, adding that donors would be able to put their adaptation money within the Convention framework, rather than outside it. Read the rest of this article.