Minister of the Environment Erik Solheim in the Guardian:
REDD comes with risks but there is no other choice than to try
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Published under: Stoltenberg's 2nd Government
Publisher: Ministry of the Environment
News story | Date: 09/10/2009
This week, the Guardian warned that a UN scheme to reward developing countries for protecting their forests in the name of carbon reductions – known as Redd (Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) – could be "a recipe for corruption and will be hijacked by organised crime without safeguards".
This week, the Guardian warned that a UN scheme to reward developing countries for protecting their forests in the name of carbon reductions – known as Redd (Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) – could be "a recipe for corruption and will be hijacked by organised crime without safeguards".
Minister of the Environment Erik Solheim replies in a comment that if the system is managed correctly, REDD could be a positive incentive to anti-corruption mechanisms and sustainable forest management.
He points out that reducing forest loss in developing countries is key to mitigating global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning or cut down forests account for about one fifth of all global emissions per year.
Norway is aware that REDD is challenging. However, the forests are so important – for climate, biodiversity and the people living off and in the forests – that we must take this opportunity to work together to protect them.
Solheim writes that the question not is whether we should implement REDD, but how we should do it.