Rainforest news: looking for da Silva dollars - August 05, 2008
Posted for Jeff Tollefson
The idea of creating an international fund to help tropical countries protect their rainforests has been floating around international climate negotiations for some time, but Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is apparently tired of waiting. Last week he established a fund to do exactly that with the Amazon (video here).
What he didn’t do was put any money in it. Indeed, Brazil is seeking donations to the fund to the tune of $21 billion, including $1 billion in the first year.
Brazil would retain its control over the Amazon, which is as it should be, and the funds would be used to promote various forest protection programs. It’s not clear beyond that how, exactly, it would be work, aside from the fact that it would be managed by a Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES).
Norway has apparently kicked in $100 million, and we’ll see where things go from here. The question is whether other nations will want to wait and see what comes of the climate negotiations at the UN, where negotiators from around the world are debating how to calculate deforestation emissions and create a system to fund conservation programs in tropical nations.
Many are pushing for a market-based system that would allow companies rich nations to offset emissions by protecting rainforests that would other wise be cut down. This kind of program would come with plenty of strings attached, although it could be merged with other programs - including the kind of direct aide sought by Brazil.
Image: Lula / Ricardo Stuckert/PR
Comments
Indonesia and Brazil are currently the world's third and fourth highest greenhouse gas emitters, largely because of rainforest destruction.
However, both these countries have the potential to become world leaders in addressing the problems of climate change and environmental damage.
As stewards of the rainforests, these countries are standing on the threshold of an exciting new and beneficial industry, the rainforest preservation industry.
While all countries should be encouraged and recognised in some way for protecting their forests and preserving biodiversity, tropical rainforests are particularly precious carbon sinks.
Rainforests are vital for the world, so the world must pay for their preservation and management. This is not just about emissions, we must also cherish these rainforests as valuable ecosystems and bastions of biodiversity.
Some people might argue, "We can't just pay these countries for doing nothing, for just leaving their rainforests standing". But it's not "payment for nothing". It's payment for preserving and managing a vital resource which is beneficial for the world, and compensation for development opportunities foregone.
Of course, it won't necessarily be easy. There are many complex economic, social, conservation, forest management and governance issues to consider. But this issue needs to be addressed NOW, before the rainforests are all gone.
I hope an alliance of world leaders from developing and developed countries will urgently cooperate on this and report progress at Copenhagen in 2009.
We need political will and leadership at the very highest level to make this work.
Posted by: Elizabeth Hart | August 5, 2008 02:08 PM