EcoSecurities Breakfast Meeting: Helping to reforest the planet - how to make forestry credits more appealing to buyers

Chair:
• Lisa Ashford, Head of Voluntary and New Markets, EcoSecurities

Panellists:
• Hassen Bali, Vice President, Markit Environmental Registry
• Jan Fehse, Head of Ecosystems Services, EcoSecurities
• Alex Morrison, Head of Governance, Plan Vivo Foundation

 

As an option to mitigate climate change and remove greenhouse gases, forestry activities receive a great deal of attention. Specifically in the voluntary carbon market, where the forest sector could play a significant role in not only reducing the impacts of climate change but also in achieving broad sustainable development benefits that go beyond emission abatement measures alone.

In a recent study ‘The Forest Carbon Offsetting Report 2009’ conducted by EcoSecurities, ClimateBiz, Conservation International and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) which polled over 120 corporate organisations showed that the general attitude towards forestry was very positive.

 

However, although reforestation projects were generally popular, what was not perceived so favourably was paying upfront for credits to be issued in the future.Yet for reforestation projects, where most of the costs are front loaded and revenues only accrue slowly as trees grow, the long wait for carbon returns is often a deal-breaker. Upfront payments for reforestation credits would facilitate more tree-planting and more associated sustainable development benefits.

In an interactive discussion with the audience the panel outlined above will examine the various pros and cons of reforestation projects, looking at options that could be explored to bridge the financing gap whilst still appealing to potential voluntary carbon buyers.