An area of tropical forest the size of England continues to be lost each year. This gives rise to around 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, greater than global emissions from transport. Addressing deforestation is as essential as decarbonising electricity or transport if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change. A failure to act on deforestation could double the cost of avoiding dangerous climate change to 2030. Deforestation is caused by a range of factors, many of which are exacerbated by a growing global population and increasing consumption. Halting deforestation requires: (a) support for rainforest nations to help them manage their development so that it does not allow continued deforestation; (b) management of the demand for commodities whose production encourages deforestation; and (c) the introduction of a mechanism to pay developing countries for maintaining, and in due course recreating, their forests. The UK needs to act in all three areas if its policies on deforestation are to be successful. Ignoring any one undermines the effectiveness and durability of action in the other areas. As part of this work the Government must: remove subsidies that contribute to deforestation, such as biofuels policy; develop sustainability standards for agricultural commodities; implement and enforce government timber procurement; and, seek an EU-wide ban on illegal timber imports combined with robust sanctions. Illegal timber imports are still a fact of life within the UK timber trade. The economic, environmental and development case for immediate action on deforestation is clear. But success is possible only if the international community works together effectively.

As the threats posed by changing weather patterns are becoming more apparent, climate change law has emerged as an important area of law in its own right. This Handbook provides a comprehensive understanding of this growing subject, setting out the key institutions and processes, and featuring interdisciplinary insights from leading experts.

Avoided deforestation can be characterized as the use of financial incentives to reduce rates of deforestation and forest degradation, with much of the focus on forests in tropical countries. While avoided deforestation, as a policy issue, is not new, the current debate in academic and policy circles on including it in future climate change mitigation strategies such as the Clean Development Mechanism is gathering pace – and this debate is only likely to intensify as negotiations continue over what should be included in the successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012. Up until now, however, the debate in terms of the scientific and economic implications of avoided deforestation has not been brought together. This book aims to bring together important research findings in the area along with their policy implications, whilst linking avoided deforestation to political economy as well as to the latest developments in environmental and natural resource economics.

Comprehensive, state-of-the-art IPCC report on carbon sequestration and the global carbon cycle.

Transforming Climate Finance and Green Investment with Blockchains establishes and analyzes the connection between this revolutionary technology and global efforts to combat climate change. The benefits of blockchain come through various profound alterations, such as the adoption of smart contracts that are set to redefine governance and regulatory structures and transaction systems in coming decades. Each chapter contains a problem statement that describes the challenges blockchain technology can address. The book brings together original visions and insights from global members of the Blockchain Climate Institute, comprising thought leaders, financial professionals, international development practitioners, technology entrepreneurs, and more. This book will help readers understand blockchain technology and how it can facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerate the global transition to a green economy. Provides an authoritative examination of this emerging digital technology and its implications on global climate change governance Includes detailed proposals and thorough discussions of implementation issues that are specific to green economy sectors Relates innovative proposals to existing applications to demonstrate the value add of blockchain technology Covers blockchain for the smarter energy sector, for fraud-free emissions management, to streamline climate investments, and legal frameworks for blockchain-based climate finance

The use of financial concepts and tools to shape development is hardly new, but their recent adoption by advocates of sustainable environmental management has created opportunities for innovation in business and regulatory groups. The Handbook of Environmental and Sustainable Finance summarizes the latest trends and attitudes in environmental finance, balancing empirical research with theory and applications. It captures the evolution of environmental finance from a niche scholarly field to a mainstream subdiscipline, and it provides glimpses of future directions for research. Covering implications from the Kyoto and Paris Protocols, it presents an intellectually cohesive examination of problems, opportunities, and metrics worldwide. - Introduces the latest developments in environmental economics, sustainable accounting work, and environmental/sustainable finance - Explores the effects of environmental regulation on the economy and businesses - Emphasizes research about the trade-environmental regulation nexus, relevant for economics and business students