REDD myths

The executive summary argues that REDD mechanisms are flawed because they focus on reducing emissions rather than stopping deforestation, potentially rewarding polluters and harming Indigenous Peoples. It warns that funding REDD through carbon offsetting undermines climate mitigation in industrialized nations and risks displacing forest-dependent communities. The author advocates for grant-based funding, the exclusion of plantations from forest definitions, and a rights-based approach to forest conservation.

• REDD is not designed to stop deforestation; instead, it focuses on 'reducing emissions from deforestation,' which may allow deforestation to continue or return to unacceptable rates by simply deferring it to reduce CO2 concentrations temporarily.
• The inclusion of plantations in the definition of forests within REDD is problematic because plantations store only 20% of the carbon that intact natural forests do and can cause environmental and social issues.
• Funding REDD through international carbon offsetting may negate climate mitigation efforts by allowing industrialized countries to avoid reducing their own fossil fuel consumption and diverting attention from the root causes of deforestation.
• REDD poses significant risks to Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent communities, including the potential for forced displacement, loss of land rights, and exclusion from financial incentives if they are not currently engaged in unsustainable deforestation.
• The 'opportunity cost' approach to REDD funding may effectively pay polluters by focusing on profits forfeited by those engaged in deforestation, potentially channeling public funds through entities like the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.
• Methodological challenges persist in REDD, specifically regarding 'leakage' (where deforestation shifts to other areas) and the difficulty of measuring forest degradation, which is particularly high in the Congo Basin.
• The document recommends replacing REDD with a mechanism to stop deforestation funded by grant-based sources—such as taxing fossil fuel use—rather than carbon markets or concessional loans.

APA

rawles, S. (2009). REDD myths. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/25-foei-climate-redd-ex-summ-eng-lr.pdf

Chicago

rawles, simon. REDD myths. Friends of the Earth International, 2009. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/25-foei-climate-redd-ex-summ-eng-lr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=rawles |first1=simon |title=REDD myths |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=December 2009 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/25-foei-climate-redd-ex-summ-eng-lr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rawles2009redd, author = {rawles, simon}, title = {{REDD myths}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2009}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/25-foei-climate-redd-ex-summ-eng-lr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }