Why REDD Will Fail

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) is an attempt to address climate change from one angle – paying developing countries to slow or stop deforestation and forest degradation. REDD is being trumpeted as a way to both mitigate climate change and assist countries with development. It is also supposed to protect biodiversity and the rights of indigenous peoples by securing land tenure. There have been few attempts to understand and analyse the overall framework of REDD schemes and whether or not the actual drivers of deforestation and forest degradation will be diminished on a global scale. This book argues that these important goals will not be met under the existing REDD regime unless the actual drivers of deforestation and forest degradation are diminished.

REDD was presented as a win-win solution because it began as a proposal from a coalition of developing countries as a way to protect their forests – both helping them achieve sustainable development, and helping to mitigate climate change. This book delves into the problematic details of the regime, ranging from; national capacity to monitor results, the funding mechanism, the definition of a forest, leakage, and the impetus behind the actual drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.

REDD is currently the largest international climate mitigation scheme and if the international community is rallying around REDD and developed countries and companies are willing to commit substantial amounts of funds to implement the scheme, it is crucial to know if REDD, as the framework is currently designed, has the potential to achieve its purported goals. That is the question this book addresses.

Zachary A. Smith is Regents Professor at Northern Arizona University, USA.

Jessica L. DeShazo is Assistant Professor at California State University at Los Angeles, USA.