REDD, rights and rhetoric: emerging research opportunities

How are activities aimed at reducing global climate change affecting vulnerable people's rights and wellbeing? Who is benefiting from climate initiatives and who is missing out? How are emerging climate concerns influencing existing environmental politics and networks? This paper focuses upon the UNFCCC Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme which seeks to prevent the release of carbon stored in forests by providing financing mechanisms to slow forest loss. REDD programmes involve multi-million dollar contracts that allow consumers to offset their carbon emissions by financing forest protection initiatives in countries experiencing high rates of deforestation. While desirable from a global climate perspective concerns have been raised about the introduction of private sector actors and commercial imperatives to forest protection and the effects this is having upon the access, rights and wellbeing of forest dependent communities. Here I report on preliminary research conducted in the Indonesian province of Aceh and discuss ways of conceptualising and theorising REDD. In doing so I outline some potential subjects for future research collaborations for Mekong scholars oriented towards ensuring REDD helps, rather than harms, forest-dependent communities.