REDD ignores primary causes of forest destruction

2011 January 24, by Chapter Council

A new study by Jeremy Rayner, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan Graduate School of Public Policy and chair of the panel of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) suggests that REDD and REDD++, the UN’s preferred program for using forests to offset climate change, will not work.

Our findings suggest that disregarding the impact on forests of sectors such as agriculture and energy will doom any new international efforts whose goal is to conserve forests and slow climate change”

New study suggests global pacts like REDD ignore primary causes of destruction of forests.

The authors of this report say that the program looks at the forests purely as a sink of carbon dioxide and disregard the needs of the people who live there.

We at the Council of Canadians want a different approach to forests, one that endows nature with inalienable rights and opposes the monetization of forests, especially as offsets for the rich countries to continue their business as usual climate and energy trajectory. REDD is a global, top down solution that disregards local knowledge, local stewardship and local goals. It excludes the people who make their life in the forest from the decisions that will impact their life. We need more inclusive governance, we need comprehensive protection. Forests are not just carbon sinks.

Photo courtesy Balachandar’s Flickr stream used under a Creative Commons license.