14 DAY TRIAL // Greenpeace's recently released “Forests and People First” consultation document is aimed at setting down some rules and regulations that would help diminish the potential negative outcomes of REDD+ projects.
As we previously discussed, the forest carbon program known as REDD+ is a global initiative whose sole purpose is that of protecting forest areas worldwide by literally offering money to those countries that agree to opt out of deforestation campaigns.
However, what Greenpeace fears is that these projects might eventually lead to corruption and social conflicts between businessmen taking a sudden interest in the environment and indigenous people.
Mongabay reports that, in one of her most recent interviews, Greenpeace advisor Susanne Breitkopf explained how “Forest protection and emission reductions schemes are not going to work without guarantees that local people's rights are fully respected and that biodiversity is protected.”
Moreover, she added, “Without strong binding efforts, we can end up with monoculture plantations instead of natural forests or even see local communities evicted from project sites taken over by foreigners.”
With several REDD+ projects already up and running in parts of Brazil and Cambodia, environmentalists wish to make sure that nobody gets cheated on while trying to safeguard the environment.
Therefore, the “Forest and People First” document traces out suggestions for REDD+ standards, and stipulates that all certifying bodies should abide by them.
The paper focuses on some key aspects such as the need for environmental and social assessment, the need to respect both the land and its native people, and the importance of transparent and effective governance.
As far as we are concerned, Greenpeace's attempt to regulate these mixed environmental and financial projects is more than welcomed so as to make sure that issues like putting an end to deforestation and keeping our natural world out of harm's way turn into just another business.