IS STOPPING DEFORESTATION OFFSETTING?

This is precisely the kind of thing that MUST get settled if carbon trading is going to work!

Although reforestation is a legitimate, sellable offset project, countries are not now allowed offset payments for stopping deforestation because it opens the door for scam offsets. There is no way to be sure the forest would have been chopped down without the payment and it would be difficult to accurately assess the value of something that does NOT happen. On the other hand, stopping deforestation in Indonesia is something that should get done, and soon.

Indonesia wants deforestation in new climate deal
Adhityani Arga, June 29, 2007 (Reuters)

WHO
Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar;
reforestation -- great idea (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Indonesia wants the subject of deforestation to be on the agenda at the upcoming U.N. climate talks.

WHEN
Witoelar statement June 29.
Climate talks will be in December.

WHERE
Witoelar statement from Jakarta.
Upcoming climate talks will be in Bali.

WHY
The Bali climate talks will attempt finalize by 2009 the next international efforts against climate change. The current (Kyoto: 35 countries agreed to get emissions 5% below 1990 levels by 2008-12)) agreement expires in 2012.
Kyoto allows offsetting payments from emitting industries in advanced countries to developing nations’ emission-neutralizing projects or non-emitting energy projects.
Developing nations’ efforts to stop deforestation are not eligible. Report on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation (RED) will inform decision to allow or exclude.
A World Bank reports says Indonesia is one of the world’s top 3 emitters (Witoelar disputes that) due to deforestation, peatland degradation and forest fires (2.563 billion tonnes/year). Indonesia has 225 million acres (91 million hectares) of forest, 10% of world tropical forest. Palm oil plantations are rapidly reducing the forests, partly for biofuels. A Greenpeace report (Witoelar disputes it) says Indonesia is deforesting at the world’s fastest pace, 300 soccer pitches destroyed/hour.
A rainforest gone, a palm plantation coming; if offsets are not paying to stop deforestation, they may pay to incentivize palm oil plantations. Think something needs to be tweaked in the system?

QUOTES
Witoelar: "It (reduced emissions from deforestation) has to enter the agenda so that developing nations such as Indonesia can benefit…Indonesia will benefit from the carbon trade. Almost 85 percent of emissions come from land use change, which includes deforestation…We are backed by countries with vast forest areas such as Papua New Guinea, Congo, Brazil, Costa Rica and other equatorial countries in the climate negotiations…We are ready. We have a grand plan to identify and restore or conserve our forest areas. We have also prepared the financial side of the deal…"