The Plus Side

The report outlines how tropical forests can be transitioned from net carbon emitters to net sinks through the REDD+ framework. It details specific reforestation, restoration, and sustainable production forestry techniques, while emphasizing the necessity of 'additional' carbon benefits beyond business-as-usual baselines. The authors argue that achieving zero net emissions by 2030 requires a combination of reducing deforestation and scaling up sequestration activities, supported by international financial incentives and national policies that protect biodiversity and the rights of indigenous and local communities.

• Tropical deforestation and forest degradation contribute approximately 15 percent of global warming pollution, and reducing these emissions by 50 percent by 2020 and to zero by 2030 is necessary to mitigate climate change.
• The REDD+ mechanism expands beyond reducing deforestation and degradation to include conserving carbon stocks, sustainable forest management, and increasing carbon sequestration rates.
• Reforestation and restoration can be achieved through various methods, including natural regeneration, enrichment planting of missing species, and the creation of mixed-species plantations, which are more beneficial for biodiversity than monocultures.
• Production forests can reduce emissions and increase sequestration through reduced-impact logging (RIL), lengthening harvest rotations, and improving soil fertility using nitrogen-fixing species or biochar.
• To qualify for REDD+ payments, carbon benefits must be 'additional,' meaning they exceed a baseline of emissions or sequestration that would have occurred under business-as-usual conditions.
• Agroforestry, the practice of growing crops and trees on the same plot, can sequester between 1.5 and 3.5 metric tons of carbon per hectare annually in the humid tropics.
• Community forestry, where local residents have formal responsibility and secure land tenure, is often more effective at reducing deforestation and maintaining carbon stocks than 'no-touch' legal status.
• Environmental safeguards in REDD+ must prioritize native species and avoid planting forests in naturally unforested areas, such as the Brazilian cerrado, to prevent undermining existing biodiversity and water availability.
• Social safeguards are essential to ensure the full consent and participation of the approximately 800 million people living in or near tropical forests, ensuring equitable sharing of financial benefits.

APA

Elias, P., & Lininger, K. (2010). The Plus Side. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Plus-Side.pdf

Chicago

Elias, Pipa, and Katherine Lininger. The Plus Side. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Plus-Side.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Elias |first1=Pipa |last2=Lininger |first2=Katherine |title=The Plus Side |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=November 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Plus-Side.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{elias2010plus, author = {Elias, Pipa and Lininger, Katherine}, title = {{The Plus Side}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Plus-Side.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }