Accra Briefing: Forests are more than carbon

The briefing contends that forests should not be treated primarily as carbon sinks and warns that market-based REDD mechanisms risk creating climate loopholes and displacing local communities. It advocates for funding forest conservation through national programs and carbon taxes in industrialized nations rather than carbon markets, emphasizing the need to address the underlying drivers of deforestation such as agrofuels and industrial logging.

• The document argues that any forest agreement must be designed to stop deforestation and degradation entirely, rather than merely reducing or deferring emissions, and must align with the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• The briefing warns that a REDD mechanism lacking a proper definition of forests could fund the expansion of monoculture plantations, which store at most 20% of the carbon and a fraction of the biodiversity found in old growth forests.
• The author asserts that carbon markets for forests allow high-emitting countries to avoid economic transformation and create a significant loophole in the climate regime, while potentially leading to the loss of sovereignty over natural resources.
• The document proposes alternative funding for deforestation prevention, such as innovative carbon taxes in industrialized countries, national programs for community-driven conservation, and a global forest fire fighting fund, instead of using the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility or voluntary schemes.
• The briefing identifies the primary drivers of deforestation as agrofuels, excessive meat and paper consumption in importing countries, and destructive practices in industrial logging and oil, gas, and mining extraction.

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} }