Leakage from an Avoided Deforestation Compensation Policy: Concepts, Empirical Evidence, and Corrective Policy Options

The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is inextricibly linked to activities on the ground via the global carbon cycle. Activities in land use, land use change and forestry remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by sequestering carbon in trees, other vegetation and soils, but can also increase greenhouse gas concentrations through the release of carbon stored in forested ecosystems via deforestation.