Policy brief Wetlands International to the REDD-non Paper 18 of 08/10/09 @ 10.00

Peatlands contain a huge amount of carbon. Total CO₂ emissions from the worldwide 500,000 km2 of degraded peatland may exceed 2 Gtons CO₂ from peat decomposition and burning following degradation of wetlands. Logged and drained peatland soils continue to release carbon dioxide for decades and degradation continues until they are either restored or completely depleted of peat. Avoiding and reducing the emissions from peatlands has a very significant and cost-effective mitigation potential.

Position Wetlands International

Reducing emissions from organic soils under (former) forests should be addressed in a REDD+ mechanism. REDD+ should also be expanded to other ecosystems with substantial carbon stocks, such as non-forested peatlands, provided that emission reductions are MRV-proof. The restoration of yet deforested and drained peatswamp forests and non-forested peatlands should also be eligible as activity under REDD+ and/or be prioritized as low carbon strategies under NAMA’s.

REDD without peat may lead to a perverse policy

A REDD mechanism that does not provide adequate incentives to protect and restore organic soils ignores very high and ongoing emissions that result from deforestation and forest degradation, including from organic soils deforested in the past. Not accounting soil carbon losses under REDD would also provide an adverse incentive to enhance plantation forest growth by draining organic wetland soils with significant carbon stocks resulting in significant emissions.

Policy recommendations / textural guide;

Scope:

·         Reducing both immediate (Land Use Change) AND ongoing (Land Use) emissions;

·         Both above AND below ground;

·         From deforestation AND degradation;

·         With a priority for protecting intact natural forests and maintaining existing carbon stocks;

·         Covering also ongoing emissions from still carbon-rich forest soils deforested from 1990 onwards;

·         And expand REDD+ to emission reductions from other selected land use sectors provided that they are MRV-Proof

General Principles:

·         Address all emissions, emission reductions and removals from all five carbon pools for forests – including organic soil carbon – (as per the IPCC 2006 guidelines), including ongoing emissions from organic soils due to current or prior deforestation or forest degradation

Safeguards:

·         Safeguards for biodiversity conservation AND other ecosystem services

·         Safeguards against the conversion of natural forests AND other ecosystems to plantations

·         Safeguard to prevent leakage, including to non-forest ecosystems

·         Ensure strong safeguard language, not ‘promote’, ‘reduce as much as possible’, but ENSURE