Rise and spread of national and sub-national forest carbon schemes

In December 2011 at the international climate change negotiations at COP17 in Durban, there were further developments on the proposed REDD+ mechanism to reduce forest-based emissions and enhance forest carbon sinks. Various countries have initiated forest-related emission reduction and offsetting schemes within the last year. This policy brief provides an update on national and international REDD+ and other forest carbon policies from April 2011 to January 2012.

The brief presents the following updates on international schemes and proposals on REDD+ within the stated time frame:

• the Kyoto Protocol set emissions reduction targets for about 30 developed countries and all countries at the Durban summit agreed to reduce their emissions by 2015
• the final decision regarding safeguards stipulated that countries with forests should report on how safeguards are being addressed
• meetings were held to discuss finance, MRV, safeguards and the work programme.
  

• China launched a pilot forest carbon trading programme
• South Korea announced voluntary emissions cut
• Japan tested the feasibility of a Bilateral Carbon Offset Mechanism
• in India, Maharashtra State created a tree credits scheme
• the Governors’ Climate and Forests task force carried on with the sub-national REDD+ framework, financing, knowledge database, and communications, outreach and stakeholder involvement
• California formally adopted the greenhouse cap and-trade programme.
  

• the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme increased levels of tree planting and enabled the forest sector to engage in national and international carbon markets
• Quebec in Canada will adopt a cap and trade system for reducing emissions
• the Australian government approved the Carbon Farming Initiative
• some U.S. states and Canadian provinces formed the North America 2050 Initiative
• UK launched the Woodland Carbon Code
• Brazil changed the forestry code
• Ecuador launched the Yasuni initiative
• the Norwegian government financed forest carbon payments into the Guyana REDD Investment Fund
• Mexico signed a MoU with Indonesia on sustainable forest management and enforcing REDD+ policy as well as several other forestry issues.