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On the World Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations [1], a coalition
of environmental groups and Indigenous peoples organizations [2] has launched a call
to the international donor community to halt the diversion of forest conservation funding to dubious schemes to
“Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhance
forest carbon stocks” (REDD+), which are being promoted within the
framework of the United Nations Climate Convention.
The groups charge that climate policy makers are
working with a flawed definition of “forests” that includes
monocultures, genetically engineered trees and agrofuel plantations.
“This erroneous definition allows REDD+ funding to
finance the expansion of monoculture tree plantations, which are
implicated in serious environmental and social impacts and human rights
violations all over the world,” said Winnie Overbeek, coordinator of
the World Rainforest Movement.
More than five hundred scientists have called on
the UN Food and Agricultural Organization to review the definition of
forest [3], so that a clear distinction can be made between
biologically diverse forest ecosystems, which provide a broad range of
values and products for humanity, and monoculture tree plantations.
Also on the World Day against Monoculture Tree
Plantations, the World Future Council will hold a ceremony in New York
to hand an award to the most inspiring, innovative, and influential
forest policy [4]. Simone Lovera, Executive Director of Global Forest
Coalition, and one of the jury members of this year’s award, points
out: “It is important to note that the six countries nominated, The
Gambia, Rwanda, United States, Bhutan, Nepal, and Switzerland, have
developed their successful forest policies without any REDD+ support”
[5].
“Most of these successes are based on a
combination of political will and the recognition of the rights of
local communities and their valuable role in conserving and restoring
forests,” Lovera said. “Forest donors should support initiatives and
policies that ensure rights-based, socially just forest conservation
rather than diverting their funding to risky REDD+ experiments that
promote tree monocultures and human rights violations.”
Tom Goldtooth, director of Indigenous
Environmental Network adds: “All over the world, monoculture tree
plantations and other REDD+ projects are triggering conflicts with
Indigenous Peoples and local communities and environmental devastation.
Meanwhile, support is lacking for socially just and successful policies
that support real community forest conservation.”
Many REDD+ donors speculate that their projects will soon be financed
through mandatory carbon offset markets, which they expect will bring
significant additional investment. However, carbon offset markets are
collapsing due to fears that countries will fail to reach an agreement
on legally binding emission cuts beyond 2012.
“Without global caps, there will be no global
trade,” says Tamra Gilbertson of Carbontradewatch. “The European
Emissions Trading Scheme – the world’s primary carbon exchange –
excludes REDD+ due to well-founded concerns that forest carbon offsets
undermine real efforts to reduce emissions. REDD+ funding has proven to
be highly volatile, inequitable and uncertain. In order to both combat
climate change and to value forests in their own right, forest
conservation policies need reliable, stable and equitable support – not
disingenuous and patently false solutions like REDD+.”
For further information, contact:
Winnie Overbeek, Coordinator, World Rainforest Movement, +598 2 413 2989
Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director, Indigenous Environmental Network, + 1 218 760 0442
Simone Lovera, Executive Director, Global Forest Coalition, + 595 21 663654
Tamra Gilbertson, Coordinator, Carbontrade Watch, + 34 625 498083
Jeff Conant, Communications Director, Global Justice Ecology Project, +1 510 698 3802
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Notes:
[2] The No REDD Platform is a loose network of
researchers, activists, organizations and movements that work together
by sharing information, organizing collective strategies and supporting
each other. By connecting with global justice movements committed to
climate, environmental and social justice the No REDD Platform aims to
expose the injustices inherent in REDD+ projects globally. See http://noredd.makenoise.org
[5] Please note that of these countries, Nepal is the only country that
currently receives significant amounts of REDD+ support, but its
successful policy on supporting community-based forest management was
developed long before the first REDD+ support started to arrive.
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2024 Carbon Trade Watch
