The necessary demise of the principle of common but differentiated responsibility in climate change agreements in order to reduce emissions from the deforestation and degradation of tropical rainforests

The burden of finding and implementing solutions to address climate change can no longer be shouldered by developed countries. Rather climate change has become a global issue not only due to rising industrial greenhouse emissions from all countries but also from carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) arising from the deforestation and degradation of tropical rainforests.
Developing countries have avoided responsibility for controlling and being accountable for rising greenhouse gas emissions because the international community has recognized that as industrialised countries have been responsible for the majority of atmospheric global emissions over the past three hundred years, they should bear the brunt of lowering emissions. As emissions from tropical rainforests comprise about 20 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions it is argued that developing countries which house the majority of these forests must now be accountable.