REDD+

2009 may prove to be an important turning point for tropical forests.

Lead by Brazil, which had the lowest extent of deforestation since at least the 1980s, global forest loss likely declined to its lowest level in more than a decade. Critical to the fall in deforestation was the global financial crisis, which dried up credit for forest-destroying activities and contributed to a crash in commodity prices, an underlying driver of deforestation.
 

The Copenhagen Accord recognized the need for a mechanism to funnel money into projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation while promoting sustainable forest management.  Maria Bendana digs into the latest negotiating text and offers a detailed summary of the most relevant sections.

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The United States has pledged $1 billion as part of a $3.5 billion scheme as initial financing toward slowing deforestation, a major contributor to climate change, a U.S. government statement said on Wednesday.

COPENHAGEN 2009: THE FINAL draft of a deal on curbing carbon emissions from deforestation has been stripped of any real protection for natural forests or indigenous peoples who have looked after them for cen

Destruction of forests — burning or cutting trees to clear land for plantations or cattle ranches — is thought to account for about 20 percent of global emissions. That's as much carbon dioxide as all the world's cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships combined.