Friends of the Earth International (FoE) will be releasing a new report that exposes some of the major governance challenges of an international carbon payment scheme” particularly the risks for forest-dependent communities. A global REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) payment mechanism will be one of the main topics during UNFCCC's 14th Conference of the Parties (CoP-14) conference in Poznan” Poland.

Today in The Guardian” FoE climate and energy coordinator Joseph Zacune said the report” “re-focuses us on the question” who do forests belong to? In the absence of secure land rights” indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities have no guarantees that they'll benefit from REDD.”

The article cited RRI as another organization concerned about the consequences of a REDD scheme in a context of insecure forest tenure. Forest peoples with customary tenure over forest areas maybe be excluded from benefits unless states formally recognize their ownership.

For more information” check out

•   FoE's program on climate and energy justice.

•   Discussions and presentations on REDD and governance from the blog http://rightsandclimate.org/

•   Climate Change and Governance in the Forest Sector” a report from RRI and Intercooperation.