In this engaging discussion, Kevin Conrad, founder of the Coalition for Rainforests, and Pavan Sukhdev, CEO of GIST, delve into the idea of placing a price on nature. They explore the tension between valuing biodiversity and its intrinsic worth. The conversation touches on the role of rainforest ecosystems in carbon capture and the challenges of deforestation. Other key topics include the complexities of carbon credits, corporate impact on the environment, and the critical need for citizen involvement in climate accountability.
Valuing natural ecosystems is essential for climate action, as their significant contributions often go unrecognized and underappreciated.
The financialization of nature through carbon credits presents challenges of fairness, requiring clear guidelines to protect local communities and ensure accountability.
Deep dives
Putting a Price on Nature
Valuing natural ecosystems is crucial for addressing climate change, as the benefits provided by nature often go unrecognized and underappreciated. Pavan Sukhdev emphasizes that while nature is free, its value is significant, as it plays a vital role in absorbing pollution and supporting life. For instance, the role of bees in pollination is economically estimated at around $200 billion, despite the fact that no bee ever invoices for its services. This disconnect between public perception and the ecological contributions highlights the importance of establishing a financial valuation for environmental services to incentivize their protection.
Innovative Approaches to Deforestation
To combat rampant deforestation and promote conservation, initiatives like REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) have been proposed, rewarding entire countries for retaining their forests. Kevin Conrad discusses his coalition's efforts, revealing challenges such as individual villages deforesting in response to localized monetary payments. An international framework is necessary to ensure that financial incentives lead to genuine conservation efforts rather than simply shifting harmful practices elsewhere. Countries need to be held accountable through public reporting and independent evaluations of their environmental commitments to ensure these programs succeed.
Challenges with Carbon Credits and Nature Pricing
The emerging market for carbon credits raises concerns about fairness and transparency, particularly for developing countries. Critics argue that the financialization of nature can lead to carbon colonialism, where wealthier nations exploit the resources of less developed countries without fair compensation for local communities. Tina Stege emphasizes the necessity of establishing clear guidelines, including avoiding double counting and ensuring that some of the benefits serve local adaptation needs. As carbon credit trading becomes more mainstream, it is vital for protocols to be in place that safeguard both the environment and the rights of those who are most affected by climate change.
Everyone who steps outside can appreciate the value that the natural world brings to our lives. To some people, the idea of placing a monetary value on trees and mangrove forests is wrong because nature and its gifts are priceless. But others say the love of nature has not stopped it from being polluted or destroyed.
The natural world plays a major role in capturing the carbon from our atmosphere. A marketplace now exists where countries and big businesses can pay others to protect their forests, swamps and bogs in return for offsetting their emissions. But several of these schemes have faced scandal and corruption. Could the world’s largest biodiversity conference in Colombia, COP16, help put a stop to that?
Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by Kevin Conrad, founder, Coalition for Rainforests; Tina Stege, climate envoy, Marshall Islands; Pavan Sukhdev, chief executive officer, GIST
Tell us what you think of the show or send us your own climate question. Email: TheClimateQuestion@bbc.com or Whatsapp: +44 8000 321 721
Producers: Darin Graham and Graihagh Jackson
Researcher: Natasha Fernandez
Reporter: Gloria Bivigou
Series producers: Alex Lewis and Simon Watts
Sound engineers: Graham Puddifoot and Tom Brignell
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