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Deforestation

Answer

The Government’s policy is that emissions reductions from reduced deforestation should be part of developing countries’ participation in climate change agreements and our strategy to achieve this is to participate actively in the negotiations and associated technical discussions that can bring it about.Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica, supported by other countries making up the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, proposed to the 11 Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which took place recently in Montreal, that emissions reductions relative to a national baseline could be used as a measure of achievement.The UK believes the proposal is very interesting, especially given the potential for significant co-benefits for communities dependent on forests and for biodiversity, as well as for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. There are nevertheless significant technical issues to consider, including on how baselines would in practice be defined, and emissions relative to them measured. These questions need to be resolved before this or any other proposal could provide a basis for quantification of emissions saved, and hence valuation in carbon markets. In the Government’s view it is not useful to speculate about the detailed modalities for engagement until these technical issues are better understood; but clearly linkage, if participation were linked to Kyoto Protocol carbon markets, would be after the first commitment period, for which the rules are already set.Having discussed the proposal in Montreal, the parties to the UNFCCC agreed to submit its views on the issues by the end of March 2006. The Conference of Parties requested the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) under the UNFCCC to start consideration of the issue, at its 24th session which will be in May 2006, following the submissions. There will be a workshop on the issue following the 24th session of the SBSTA and the SBSTA will report on its findings at its 27th session, in December 2007. The UK, as part of the EU, will contribute detailed technical views, initially via the March 2006 submission, and will seek resolution of the issues in the negotiations in a manner that contributes to the objectives of the UNFCCC and helps realise the co-benefits for communities and for biodiversity.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

3036; 676 c248-9WA

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Compensation Air pollution Climate change Carbon dioxide Biodiversity Developing countries Development aid Pollution control Rainforests Sustainable development