It is estimated that deforestation and forest degradation contributes about 20% to the carbon emissions worldwide. Carbon emissions are seen as the main cause for climate change. Recently a mechanism is developed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). In short, REDD is a financial mechanism to pay countries who can prove that they reduce their deforestation rate. Potentially this creates an incentive for governments to claim ownership of forests on land and territories of indigenous peoples in order to claim the payments for the forest services. This would undermine ownership rights of indigenous peoples and raises the question if indigenous peoples will also benefit from these payments for environmental services. Besides, it is unclear what will be defined as “forests” and there is a risk that plantations will also be regarded as forests. Indigenous peoples fear that their forests will be claimed by governments, turned into plantations and that they will be left without any payments or compensation.

This is why NCIV is also actively advocating safeguards for the rights of indigenous peoples in relation to the proposed REDD mechanism. During the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, at the end of 2009, a preliminary decision was taken on REDD. On 8 May 2009, NCIV organized in Amsterdam a European expert meeting on implications for indigenous peoples of EU policies on REDD. For more info on the issue of REDD >> [link naar issues; redd]