|March 15, 2009
Change. Hope. Tropical Forests.
During the 2008 campaign, then-Senators Obama and Biden were explicit about the importance of stopping tropical deforestation. In their campaign’s Environmental Plan (
|March 15, 2009
Change. Hope. Tropical Forests.
During the 2008 campaign, then-Senators Obama and Biden were explicit about the importance of stopping tropical deforestation. In their campaign’s Environmental Plan (view
the whole plan on the link to the right), the Obama-Biden team
spelled out four key steps to “Make the U.S. a “Leader in Combating
Climate Change around the World”.
The 4 points were:
- Re-Engage the UN Framework Convention on Climate change.
- Create a New Forum of Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters
- Transfer American Technology to the Developing World, and…
- Confront Deforestation and Promote Carbon Sequestration
The campaign material plan hits all the right notes on the subject of tropical deforestation:
A comprehensive strategy to combat global warming must address tropical deforestation which accounts for approximately 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing rates of tropical deforestation will not only slow greenhouse gas emissions but will also protect the livelihoods of local people and the abundance of biodiversity inextricably linked to those forests. By offering incentives to maintain forests and manage them sustainably, the United States can play a leadership role in dealing with climate change.
The plan recognizes that tropical deforestation is 20% of global GHG emissions. It notes that reducing deforestation can also have important co-benefits. Most important, the plan suggests the US will exert global leadership by offering incentives for developing countries to conserve their forests. The Tropical Forest Group couldn’t agree more.
It should be no surprise that tropical deforestation played such a prominent role in their thinking on climate change and the environment. Senator Biden was one of the original sponsors of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) in 1998. More recently he worked with Senator Lugar to re-authorize and expand the TFCA to cover coral reefs. Vice-President Biden had an 88% lifetime LCV environment score. President Obama had an impressive 96% rating from the League of Conservation Voters before taking office.
Now we will see if the administration can follow through and make tropical deforestation a corner piece of the new US climate change strategy. As the administration shifts fully into governance, TFG hopes to see real examples that the US will push the envelope on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing