Several international financial institutions (IFIs), especially the World Bank, have been playing a crucial role in the implementation of market policies, particularly carbon trade as a solution to climate change.

Carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases, which are responsible of the climate change. The promotion of tree plantations to obtain carbon in poor countries, and even the incentive to avoid deforestation in those countries (one of the most contaminating activities of the world), are some of the most attractive measures for the industralized countries, which have the approval and direct participation of the international financial institutions.

These are “false solutions” to climate change, warns the environmentalist federation Friends of the Earth International, which is present in 70 countries. With the implementation of these kind of projects in the poor world, the rich countries expect to buy their right to keep contaminating those territories, according to the environmentalists.

Actually, what is needed is that the industralized countries reduce the emmissions of greenhouse gases in a dramatic way, if they seriously want to tackle climate change. The emmissions should be reduced by 2020 by at least 40 % having as reference the levels produced in 1990, states Friends of the Earth International.

Real World Radio interviewed the co-coordinator of the campaign on International Financial Institurions of Friends of the Earth, Ginting Longenna. During the first two weeks of December, Longenna participated in the activities organized in parallel to the UN Convention on Climate Change (COP 13), in Bali, Indonesia. The activist followed the official negotiations and the role of the international financial institutions, like the World Bank.