Fishburn Hedges

16.12.2009

Just when I was getting rather pessimistic, thank goodness, the Governator arrives in Copenhagen to add some much-needed weight to discussions around saving the world.  After all, he knows all about it from his acting days...and if that wasn't enough, John Prescott has made an appearance in his new incarnation as international eco-activist.  Urrrr....Two Jags??  View his Cop vlog here "Here i am in Copenhagen....vital discussions about the world".  Thanks John.

More positively, it's looking like one of the wins we might see out of Copenhagen is an agreeement on protecting the world's forests.  Avoiding deforestation has a double-headed climate benefit as you avoid emissions from burning forests, and also retain the forests' potential to draw and store carbon from the atmosphere.  And the potential carbon reductions are huge - from a quick look at McKinsey's analysis, as much as 10 times as much as industrial carbon capture.

 The so-called REDD draft (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) would create a system of payments to countries and peoples who protect their forests.  There's reportedly a good deal of detailed haggling to go - is a peat bog worth more than a tropical forest etc etc - but even so, the advocacy groups are reporting significant progress.

Posted by Clare Hinkley