Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 06/2013

The Role of Forests in a Future Climate Agreement

Donna Lee

April 2013

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

Abstract

Forests can play a significant role in helping to avoid dangerous climate change, and a global agreement under the UNFCCC would be uniquely placed to support efforts in this regard. The rising global demand for agricultural and other land-based products means that pressures on land are increasingly cross-border, and there is an accelerating expansion of the deforestation frontier. Smart domestic policies are critical to solving the deforestation challenge, and recent private sector interest in "sustainable agriculture" is encouraging. However, global agreements that value standing forests and provide incentives that positively impact land use change decisions can be an equally important tool.