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Trading carbon: how it works and why it is controversial

August 17, 2010

In the drive to tackle climate change, carbon trading has become the policy instrument of choice among governments. It is also a central element of the UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol. National or regional carbon trading schemes are now operational in Europe, the USA, New Zealand and elsewhere.


Yet carbon trading remains highly controversial. Some see it as a dangerous distraction and a false solution to the problem of climate change. Unfortunately the subject is characterised by jargon, abstract concepts, mathematical formulae and technical detail, making it hard for most people to understand its implications and assess its merits or otherwise. This guide attempts to unravel some of this complexity.

For a 20 page version of this guide please see www.fern.org/designedtofail

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application/pdf iconOPEN1.84 MB

Designed to fail? The concepts, practices and controversies behind carbon trading.

December 2, 2010

Carbon trading has become the central pillar of international efforts to halt climate change. It is a term that most people will recognise, but far fewer will have a good understanding of what it means and how it is supposed to work. Fewer still will feel confident to judge whether it is a success or not.

 
As an accessible introduction to carbon trading, FERN published Trading carbon: how it works and why it is controversial. This summary version provides a synopsis of the key points of that book. We would encourage readers to refer to the full version for references, more detailed explanations, examples and evidence. 
 

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application/pdf iconFERN_designedtofail_internet.pdf796.56 KB

Cutting corners; how the FCPF is failing forests and peoples

December 8, 2008

A FERN-FPP report analysing nine different country proposals (R-PINs) to get money from the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). The report concludes that both the process and the proposals adopted do not respect the Bank's own guidelines. The report also includes an annex which details the World Bank funded REDD process.

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application/pdf iconOPEN in English1.3 MB
application/pdf iconOUVRIR en français1.56 MB
application/pdf iconABRIR en espanol818.92 KB

An overview of selected REDD proposals

November 26, 2008

overview of selected redd proposals.jpgThis report describes the different country proposals on the table to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in the lead up to a forest climate agreement to be agreed by the UNFCCC in December 2009. It looks at whether or not these proposals look beyond carbon values in forests and respect local peoples' rights.

 

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application/pdf iconAn overview of selected REDD proposals1.52 MB
application/pdf iconUn aperçu des propositions REDD sélectionnées1012.99 KB

Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatisation and Power

October 4, 2006
The book Exposes Flaws of Carbon Trading. In detailed case studies from nine Third World countries, the book shows how carbon offset projects such as those promoted under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have had a detrimental impact on local communities. At the same time, they prolong industrialized countries’ excessive pollution of the atmosphere.

Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatisation and Power is available for download at http://www.dhf.uu.se A paper edition will be published by the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation in November 2006.


Forest fraud: say no to fake carbon credits

December 1, 2003

FERN and SinksWatch are calling for EU governments to exclude carbon sinks projects from their climate project portfolios at COP9 in Milan. The report assesses the potential impacts on forests and forest peoples of granting carbon credits to forest-related projects under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism.

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application/pdf icon2003.11 - Forest fraud_say no to fake credits.pdf695.1 KB