A Glance of REDD

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Destruction, or the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is a mechanism to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in order to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest destruction. Currently, land-use emissions accounted for almost one fifth (about 6 GT) of total world emissions, and almost entirely due to deforestation and forest destruction. Half of these emissions are produced by only two countries, namely Indonesia and Brazil. Indonesia produces emissions from deforestation and forest degradation twofold from Brazil, so that deforestation in Indonesia accounted for about one third of total emissions from deforestation and forest destruction, or about seven per cent of total world emissions. No wonder the PEACE (2007) reported that if emissions from deforestation are included in the amount of total emissions, Indonesia became the third largest emitter in the world under the United States and China.

As a result of a long debate and negotiation, reducing emissions from deforestation - the first is referred to as "avoided deforestation" excluded from the Kyoto Protocol before it was adopted. REDD is also not included in the list of activities that can be done in the CDM. Only after diplomats from Papua New Guinea REDD concept was proposed at the Seminar of Governmental Experts event (Soge) interest in the world growing again. With some other countries, Papua New Guinea to form the group of countries of the Rainforest Alliance Nations. Gong of this momentum is COP13 / CMP3 in Bali, Indonesia, when Indonesia hosted the COP as well as Chair. Many participants called COP13 / CMP3 in Bali as "The REDD COP", or COP for REDD REDD agenda because it is so important. REDD is not expected to operate under an international agreement after 2012 - and even then if the agreement post-2012 successor to the Kyoto Protocol could be agreed.

There are several important factors that cause REDD gaining momentum once again after losing momentum avoided deforestation. The main, REDD is an initiative of the state scale, and not in the scale of the project such as avoided deforestation. This means that REDD could answer the problems of leakage (i.e problems in which the reduction of deforestation in an area due to avoided deforestation projects will lead to increased deforestation in other areas. Though not much reduced total deforestation). Because this is state-scale REDD, deforestation then the displacement (leakage) can be monitored, even prevented.

A REDD initiative begins with the determination of emissions of references (reference emission). The first hypothesis emissions from deforestation trend in a country will be defined area possible if there is no deliberate effort inhibitors in this REDD framework. Second, the emissions resulting from the lack of hypothetical REDD efforts - so the threat of deforestation finally happened - will be defined area possible in a particular area. Both of these references - national and local - can be done through the forecast trend of deforestation, or through mathematical models, and so on.

After that, there are two possibilities of determining whether the emission reductions actually occur (and not by accident). The first way is to define national targets to reduce emissions from deforestation. If the decline is actually lower than the target, then the excess could be certified as a reduction in emissions by REDD. The second way, the intensity and truth of the threat of forest areas will be substantial through some testing. This method is referred to as the additional test, the substantiation of a hypothesis in which emission reductions will only occur because of REDD. This can be done if there is no national or sectoral targets as the first way. Which method is used depends on the progress of negotiations on REDD in the international level.

Then, the estimated reduction in emissions from REDD efforts will be quantified and set forth in a document commonly referred to as the Project Design Document (PDD, Project Design Document). PDD will be validated by independent auditors transform and ensure that what is stated in accordance with its original state, and that the threat to the forest area actually exists. PDD republic must be approved by the party who has the authority for it in his host country. In Indonesia, this authority may exist in the Department of Forestry.

After REDD efforts started, then the emission reductions that occur will be monitored. After some time, then emission reductions will be verified by independent auditors. The result, an international institution under UN which would later be determined to issue a certificate on the reduction of these emissions.

Currently, negotiations on REDD is still going on at the political level, and yet again went to the technical level. Although nearly all parties to support the implementation of REDD in the framework of market mechanisms (such as CDM and so on), Brazil remains adamant that the REDD mechanism must be implemented through the fund, not the market. Several reasons, including scientific reasons, put forward by Brazil. But the main thing is that the supply of certified emission reductions from REDD would be very much, which would flood the carbon market if the demand for certification is not that much. The demand for certified carbon emission reduction commitments established by industrialized countries after 2012.

There are also concerns presented by indigenous groups (indigenous peoples) on REDD. They worry that the use of forests for timber, for the agricultural industry, as well as for REDD will be equally threatening the lives of indigenous peoples in the absence of governance (governance) is good as well as the participation of indigenous peoples' well-defined.