About REDD and Rights

At the 13th Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2007, it was decided to initiate negotiations on the possibility to include policies and incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in a new Climate agreement.

Most REDD proposals are based on the idea to reward individuals, communities, projects and/or countries that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forests with "payments for their environmental services" that should either be derived from a public fund, or by including forests in the carbon market, which would imply that Northern countries could invest in them as a carbon offset for their emissions.

It is widely recognized that halting deforestation and forest degradation contributes significantly to climate change mitigation, and that it can have important social and environmental co-benefits. But there is a strong concern that forest projects financed through REDD will have negative impacts upon biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and women, especially, but not only, if forests are included in carbon markets. GFC is also concerned that REDD will favor countries and individuals that have failed to halt deforestation until now above countries, Indigenous Peoples, women and men who have succeeded to conserve and restore their forests.

GFC is supporting groups in key REDD countries to monitor the coherence between REDD policy development and successful existing forest-related policies, projects and agreements, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIPs), and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). GFC also supports the International Forum of Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change in their position that REDD policies and projects are unacceptable if they do not respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

For more information:

• The hottest REDD issues
  Rights, Equity, Development, Deforestation and Governance by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities 
• Climate Change, Forest Conservation and Indigenous Peoples Rights
  Discussion paper prepared by Estebancio Castro Diaz International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change Darwin, Australia, 2 – 4 April 2008 

• Forests and Climate Change
  An Introduction to the Role of Forests in the UN Climate Change Negotiations, June 2009
• REDD Realities: how strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation i could impact on biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples in developing countries. December 2009