Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon

The briefing 'Forests are more than carbon' by Friends of the Earth International argues that forest agreements must prioritize the total cessation of deforestation and the protection of Indigenous land rights over carbon-market mechanisms. It warns that REDD mechanisms may incentivize monoculture plantations and allow industrialized nations to avoid economic transformation through offsetting, while advocating for funding via carbon taxes and national programs for community-driven conservation.

• Forest agreements must be designed to stop deforestation and degradation entirely rather than simply reducing or deferring emissions. Such agreements must align with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Expanded Program of Work on Forest Biodiversity to avoid undermining good forest practice.
• The use of carbon markets for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) is criticized as a loophole that allows high-emission countries to avoid necessary economic transformation. Furthermore, carbon markets may lead to a loss of sovereignty over natural resources and weaken public governance.
• The document distinguishes between old growth forests and plantations, stating that plantations are not forests and store at most 20% of the carbon and a fraction of the biodiversity found in old growth forests. There is a risk that REDD mechanisms could be used to fund the expansion of monoculture tree plantations, which have negative social and environmental impacts.
• The recognition and enforcement of customary and territorial land rights for the more than one billion people dependent on forests—including 60 million indigenous people—must be the foundation of forest policy. Without formal land titles, increased financial value of forests may lead to violent eviction and social dislocation.
• Alternative funding for stopping deforestation should be sourced from innovative carbon taxes in industrialized countries rather than the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, voluntary schemes, or carbon markets. Funds should be invested in national programs for rights-based, community-driven conservation and a global forest fire fighting fund.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2008). Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FORESTS-ARE-MORE-THAN-CARBON_AUG08_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon. 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FORESTS-ARE-MORE-THAN-CARBON_AUG08_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon |date=August 2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FORESTS-ARE-MORE-THAN-CARBON_AUG08_FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2008accra, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, month = aug, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/FORESTS-ARE-MORE-THAN-CARBON_AUG08_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }