India highlights need to protect forests
India has made a special pitch to stop deforestation from logging, crop-growing and cattle grazing at the Oslo Conference on climate and forests since this is calculated to account for upto 20 per cent of carbon dioxide presently being released into the atmosphere. Environment secretary Vijai Sharma present on Wednesday at the meet
pressed for the need to protect forests which would account for one-third of emission cuts needed to keep temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius.
Since this meet will ensure the setting up an agency to monitor the Redd Plus program — Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation – Mr Sharma used the opportunity to stress the need for a comprehensive framework to oversee the implementation of the program.
India seized the opportunity to make a case for a global fund to aid to help developing countries increase their forest cover. New Delhi has all along maintained that it is not enough to provide compensation and incentives for avoiding deforestation, rather REDD and other “plus” activities must be placed on the same footing, as envisaged in the Bali Action Plan.
REDD will encourage rich nations to voluntarily finance forest-protecting projects and this could encourage progress at COP 16. Deforestation has made Indonesia and Brazil the world’s third and fourth-largest carbon emitters, after China and the US. Norway has pledged $1billion to a scheme that will pay Indonesia a fixed sum per ton of Co2 emissions reduced through rain forest preservation.
Germany, France, Norway and four other countries have pledged $4 billion to finance REDD Plus itself through 2012. India is also hoping to secure global funding to to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Since India and China are not likely to benefit from REDD, New Delhi has been pushing for it to provide finances for efforts to conserve forest areas.
It is for this reason that Mr Sharma made it clear that India believed that “REDD needed to be seen in the broader context of REDD plus, not in isolation.”
The Oslo meet which was attended by leaders and representatives from 52 countries. GHG emissions by 6.35 per cent.
India has also finalised by 2020, a draft proposal document for the National Mission for a Green India.
The mission targets eco- restoration. to take up 20 million hectares for afforestation.
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