Carbon offsetting projects are one of the economic tools available to reduce agricultural emissions by paying for metric tons of avoided CO2e emissions. A summary of the emission reductions enabled by agricultural projects to date is provided in this report. It covers most projects certified by quality assurance standards, including those set up by the Kyoto Protocol (Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation) and those in the voluntary market (Verified Carbon Standard, Climate Action Reserve, Gold Standard, Chicago Climate Exchange, and American Carbon Registry).

This research seeks to assess how actors bring the social dimension into REDD+ negotiating processes at the global level. The underlying idea driving the analysis in this paper is that power relations in policy processes associated to the green economy need to be taken into account. Thus, the paper analyses power from a historical, structural and relational point of view at the different stages of global REDD+ development processes. Green economy has generally focused on the energy sector, but interest in the role of forests in emissions reduction and in forest carbon markets is growing.

Forest ecosystems assume a significant role in climate change mitigation by the virtue of being one of the largest terrestrial carbon sinks. In India, Sikkim is one of the most pro-active states in leading the implementation of conservation policies and is recognised as a key conservation hub. Sikkim adopted a grazing exclusion policy in 1998 owing to the escalating anthropogenic pressure on the forest ecosystems and their consequent rapid degradation. This provided a chance for the revival of the health of the forest ecosystems.

Countries’ quest to achieve robust economic growth in a fossil fuel-dependent production paradigm has resulted in an unsustainable accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. This phenomenon threatens humankind with irreversible climatic changes in the future. Policymakers worldwide have to devise emissions-reduction plans without affecting the economic performances of countries; developing countries must reduce emissions along with meeting development goals manifested in the form of ensuring a decent quality of life.

A summary of the proceedings from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, and their significance for the land transport sector.