Forging a Path for High-Quality Compliance REDD Credits

Author(s): Brian Murray, Lydia Olander, Donald P. Kanak

Published: December 2009

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Concerns over the potential for catastrophic climate change drive the call for significant reductions—50%–80% by mid-century—in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. With 15%–20% of current GHG emissions resulting from forest clearing it would be nearly impossible to meet these long-term goals without addressing the forest problem, and would be more costly to hit any target regardless. Most of the forest GHG emissions globally come from the clearing and degradation of forests in the tropics. As a result, some countries that would normally be considered developing or emerging economies are among the world’s largest GHG emitters (Figure 1). These tropical forest developing countries may not have the resources to address the problem entirely themselves. As a result, most policy initiatives to address forest’s role in climate change mitigation involve developed countries financing much or most of the reductions, at least initially. This could involve financial transfers from developed countries to developing countries for reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (or REDD) and possibly additional activities that (maintain or) enhance (forest) carbon stocks.