Gabriela Bueno on the Paris Agreement and Forest Governance
Most are aware that trees and forests play a crucial role in cleaning our atmosphere and combating climate change, but how did the Paris Climate Agreement address forests? And what is the international community doing to prevent deforestation and promote reforestation? In a piece published in The Conversation on December 18th, our own research associate Gabriela Bueno tackles these questions and highlights the international governance of forests.
In her piece, Forests Gain Long-Awaited Recognition in Paris Climate Summit, Bueno covers the history of international forest governance. Since the 1980s, she asserts, the international community has struggled to reach a “binding agreement on sustainable forest management.” The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) agreement from 2010 was intended to address this issue, but has not had significant impact since it came into effect.
Bueno is optimistic about the future of forest governance because of the Paris Agreement. In addition to directly addressing REDD in article 5 of the agreement, many side events and initiatives at Paris further the cause of international forest governance. The issue of forest governance is far from concluded, especially given the need to support low-income countries transition away from economically viable deforestation activities, but the formal recognition of forests at Paris is one step closer to a clear atmosphere and a cooler planet.
To read the full article, click here.