Jon Barnett - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)

In the run-up to Decembers Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen, the idea of REDD, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, is gaining greater currency as a way to bring forests into climate mitigation efforts. Australian geographer Jon Barnett of the University of Melbourne finds the principle of compensating states or communities for reducing deforestation sound. Yet he cautions that the devil is in the details when it comes to implementation. In this interview conducted at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Barnett highlights a number of areas where translating REDD from principle to practice remains challenging at best and counter-productive at worst: governance and corruption; social justice; monitoring and verification; and potential carbon leakage between participating and non-participating states.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Jon Barnett
• REDD
• ECSP
• Woodrow Wilson Center
• forests
• Geoff Dabelko