Climate Change: recognizing the value of forests
There is no longer any reasonable doubt that human-induced climate change is real and will result in major costs to society, falling disproportionally on the poorest members of the global community. Growing concern and consensus has driven a multi-billion dollar market investing in a host of activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, these emerging carbon markets have largely bypassed the rural poor and the fields and forests they depend on.
Forests and other natural ecosystems play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle, generating approximately 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than all the world’s cars, planes and ships combined. Reducing these emissions needs to be a key element of any global effort to combat climate change. At the same time, reforestation is the only proven technology capable of cost-effectively extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it safely long-term.
EcoDecision has been working with projects and policies related to carbon markets since 1996 and has led or helped develop one of the first forestry methodologies approved under the CDM, successful voluntary forest carbon and REDD projects in Brazil, Mexico and Peru, as well as supporting government agencies in developing policies around the world.