U.S. Policy and Preventing Tropical Deforestation
How Can the United States Help Prevent Tropical Deforestation?
The world will not be able to meet the emissions reduction targets that scientists tell us are necessary to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, without addressing the global warming pollution that comes from tropical deforestation and forest degradation. Negotiations have begun for the next international climate treaty and strong policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD) need to be included as part of the treaty. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, tropical deforestation and degradation causes up to 20 percent of the world’s global warming pollution. Therefore, it is vital that tropical forests be included in the solution. It is important for the U.S. negotiators to work for the inclusion of REDD in international climate treaties and for Congress to provide support for setting up a global program for reducing the heat-trapping emissions from tropical deforestation and degradation in developing countries (see Related Articles for more information on international climate treaty negotiations and the role of U.S. policy).
The U.S. House of Representatives passed climate legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), in late June of 2009. It included several strong components for protecting tropical forests:
- Five for Forests— ACES creates a limit on how much global warming pollution can be emitted. Companies Companies must purchase permits from the government to emit specified amounts of pollution. This creates a financial incentive for companies to pursue clean, efficient technologies, because they can save money by purchasing fewer permits, or make money by selling their permits to other polluters. Under the bill, 5 percent of the revenue from the sale of these permits is allocated for tropical forest protection. This funding will be used to help countries build up the capacity to reduce their emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It will also provide incentives for countries to make these reductions, providing them with funding only once they have reduced emissions and the reduction is verified and certified. By the year 2020, this funding will reduce global warming pollution by an amount equal to 10 percent of the United States’ pollution from the year 2005.
- Carbon Market Offsets—Offsets allow companies who can't reduce their own heat-trapping emissions, to pay for reductions elsewhere. The climate bill allows for limited amounts of high-quality offsets from tropical forests. The cost of reducing global warming pollution by preventing tropical deforestation is much lower than the cost of reducing global warming pollution from the industrial sector. These offsets will provide a cost-effective way for industries to offset their pollution while they are making the changes necessary to reduce the pollution they emit.
The U.S. Senate will be working on similar legislation in the fall of 2009 and it is imperative that these same principles be included in that version as well.
Policies to protect tropical forests adopted by the administration and Congress will strengthen the negotiating position of the United States in the international climate treaty negotiations and help the United States to take a stronger leadership role globally. These policies will contribute to slowing global warming, saving biodiversity, and eliminating global poverty.
