Seminar Series: Abstract

4.30
September 16 2009

REDD Seminar Series Argument - How relevant are local benefits to the effectiveness of REDD?
Panel: David Cassells, Jon Altman and Penny Davis. Moderator: Luca Tacconi

Payments for environmental services are an incentive-based mechanism which originally evolved to achieve environmental objectives, with later interest in maximising their social outcomes. Wider uptake of such incentive mechanisms will be central in efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. One key area of concern, amongst many, is whether such incentive mechanisms could enhance local development opportunities or whether they would lead to further disenfranchisement of rural and, in particular, indigenous communities.

In this debate, the panel will consider how relevant local benefits are to the ultimate effectiveness of projects aimed at reducing emissions from the forestry sector. Are there existing examples of locally beneficial carbon sequestration projects and what are the prospects for scaling these approaches up? Will local benefits be sufficient to ensure their sustainability?

Image caption: Monitoring tree growth, Cambodia.