Replacing REDD+ with the Forest Carbon Ledger (FCL)

REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It’s a methodology for measuring the CO2 benefit of forests and unlocking funds for the protection of those forests. But it’s not working. A rash of high-profile criticisms of REDD+ have undermined its credibility among carbon offset buyers and forest conservation practitioners. Refer to recent articles from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-03-24/carbon-offset-seller-s-forest-protection-projects-questioned" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> for details. The fundamental defect with REDD+ can be traced back to the convoluted concept of “avoided deforestation” and the speculative projections that are used to estimate it. As such, REDD+ calculations are based on hypothetical scenarios and counterfactual analysis — all of which is highly subjective. This opens the door for data manipulation and bias, inaccuracies, and over-estimation of climate benefits. <a href="https://jerrytoth.medium.com/replacing-redd-with-the-forest-carbon-ledger-fcl-2d998ff649a7">Read More</a>