Agents, assumptions and motivations behind REDD+

Abstract

Forest loss causes biodiversity loss and climate change and serious negative impacts on forest-dependent people. In 2007, the Parties to the Climate Convention decided to create a new sub-regime on policies and incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhance forest carbon stocks (REDD+). Combining literature review, the observation of the negotiation dynamics at 24 intergovernmental meetings, empirical data gathering, and the results of 61 semi-structured interviews with key actors in the REDD+ negotiations, the thesis has analyzed the main agents behind REDD+. The study has analyzed their strategies, their motivations and expectations regarding the environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency and social equity of REDD+, and how they used their agency to pursue their interests. The study demonstrates the relevance of interest-based regime theories; Many agents have promoted REDD+ for their own economic interests, including through strategic dissemination of financial support and policy entrepreneurship, despite modest expectations about REDD+ effectiveness, efficiency and equity. The conclusions highlight the need to be aware of power imbalances and the economic incentives that might motivate certain agents in Earth System Governance, and the risk of misrepresentation of the rightsholders (Indigenous Peoples, local communities, peasants, women) that are the assumed beneficiaries of international regimes by more dominant NGOs and other agents that have an economic stake in certain regimes. It concludes that there is a need for direct participation of rightsholders in international regime development, and that there should be policy space and financial support for their green radical alternatives to REDD+.