A top Brazilian official said at U.N. climate talks in Poland that his country opposes plans to allow wealthy countries to offset their greenhouse gas emissions by funding efforts to preserve the Amazon rain forest. The statement by Sergio Serra, Brazil’s ambassador for climate change, was a setback for proponents of an increasingly popular concept known as REDD ”“ reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation. REDD advocates contend that if strict global reductions in carbon emissions are approved, a thriving market will develop in which nations, financial firms, and conservation groups can fund forest preservation — and economic development for indigenous people — through a combination of offsets and donations. At the talks in Poland, some representatives of indigenous forest groups said they feared they would see no benefits from REDD programs. Some tropical forest nations, including Indonesia, support REDD projects. Serra said the Amazon could best be protected by creating a large fund supported by donors such as Norway, which has pledged $1 billion for Amazon conservation.
Brazil Rejects Forest Offsets
More From E360
-
Solutions
A.I. Is Quietly Powering a Revolution in Weather Prediction
-
RIVERS
On a Dammed River, Amazon Villagers Fight to Restore the Flow
-
Biodiversity
With the Great Mussel Die-Off, Scientists Scramble for Answers
-
ANALYSIS
Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble?
-
CONFLICT
In War-Torn Sudan, a Gold Mining Boom Takes a Human Toll
-
Opinion
With NOAA Cuts, a Proud Legacy and Vital Science Are at Risk
-
Biodiversity
Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens
-
Climate
Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere?
-
INTERVIEW
Saving U.S. Climate and Environmental Data Before It Goes Away
-
Biodiversity
A Craze for Tiny Plants Is Driving a Poaching Crisis in South Africa
-
INTERVIEW
Bill McKibben on Climate Activism in the Age of Trump 2.0
-
Climate
How Climate Change Puts the Safety of Drinking Water at Risk