As talks for incorporating forest conservation into an international climate treaty stall in Poznan, Poland due to technical debates, France has proposed an aggressive effort to address deforestation and forest degradation through the establishment of a Global Forest Carbon Mechanism (GFCM) and potential inclusion of forestry projects in the E.U.'s emissions trading scheme (ETS) beginning in 2013.
France, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is circulating a proposal to include emissions reduction from deforestation and forest degradation in E.U. efforts to meet reduction targets, including possible inclusion in compliance markets post-2012 provided the mechanism adhere to strict standards of effective, transparent governance, respecting rights and equitable compensation of forest-dependent peoples, and co-benefits of REDD such as biodiversity protection and poverty alleviation. The proposal recommends investment in forest protection efforts before 2012 and calls ...