Legitimate carbon projects have long been wrongfully tarnished by the actions of bad players acting outside the recognized carbon community. Now Reuters reports that the Brazilian government is taking action against one alleged “cowboy” – a move that should be embraced by everyone trying to do REDD right.
Although the process of developing an international REDD+ framework did not take the steps desired in COP18, REDD+ movement is occurring at the national and regional levels. The first REDD project ever to navigate a VCS REDD methodology is back in business, while other forest carbon projects are sprouting in Nicaragua, South Korea and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Costa Rica secures World Bank-approval for their Carbon Fund scheme.
Forest Trends is hosting events covering water and carbon at the ACES and Ecosystem Markets conference happening in Florida from December 10th through the 14th. Also, Ecosystem Marketplace’s State of Watershed Payments 2012 is due out in mid-January while sustainable plans have been agreed on for the Murray-Darling and Colorado River Basins.
As our Ecosystem Marketplace team prepares to join the (albeit downsized) mass of avid climate talk followers to Doha, we set out to find the “must attend” events – and bring them to you. Take a look below for our hand-picked list of promising events during COP 18, including where and when you can find the Forest Trends team in action!
Forest Trends is participating in The Peruvian Ministry of Environment’s Peru Watershed Services Incubator’s clinic this week to discuss hydrology, economics and social issues with national agencies and institutions. Hurricane Sandy spurs water and climate risk talks while a former New York environmental Commissioner explains how natural infrastructure helped NYC’s drinking water supplies weather the storm.
A string of unprecedented projects took center stage in this edition, starting with Asia’s first community-based mosaic REDD+ project to receive dual validation from VCS and CCBA in Cambodia. The Peruvian Amazon also saw its first dual validation, facilitated by VCS and CCB Gold. Africa did not stay behind as a project in Ethiopia was awarded the first temporary CERs in the continent through the CDM.
Debates and agreements take over this issue of Forest Carbon. Greenpeace speaks out against the GCF’s attempts to make REDD offsets qualified for California’s cap-and-trade scheme, obtaining a prompt response from a REDD Offsets Working Group member. Meanwhile, VCS and Fundacion Natura will be joining forces to establish the framework for a Colombian voluntary carbon market, and the Gold Standard announces its acquisition of the CarbonFix Standard and MOU with the Forest Stewardship Council.
Ecosystem Marketplace is putting out a last call for project developers to include their projects in the State of Watershed Payments 2012 report. Meanwhile Volkswagen has implemented a successful groundwater replenishment project in Mexico and Ecotrust released a study claiming ecological restoration can boost the economy.
Dr. Daniel Nepstad, a scientist and member of the California REDD Offsets Working Group, responds to a recent Greenpeace report that criticizes a climate change prevention initiative claiming it will at best have a neutral impact on the atmosphere. Nepstad says if this initiative survive to implementation, it will recognize and reward nations with high deforestation for lowering their rates.
Governors from states in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Peru are meeting this week in Mexico to continue work on a multilateral agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions – in part by promoting mechanisms that are saving endangered rainforests.