Climate Change and Forests: Emerging Policy and Market Opportunities

Chapter 15. A Latin American Perspective on Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry Negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Our goal in this chapter is to provide some basic elements to facilitate understanding of the dynamics and reasons behind the positions of Latin American countries in the land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). To this end we present an overview of the negotiation groups involving Latin American countries and a summary of the most relevant positions assumed by them, from negotiations on the inclusion of LULUCF activities in the Kyoto Protocol to current discussions of incentives to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation in developing countries. With the aim of presenting the social, environmental, and economic context of the Latin American negotiation positions, we further provide a summary of the situation of the forest sector in Latin America. Finally, we analyze the importance of carbon stocks in Latin American forests and elaborate on potential opportunities in this sector to contribute to the international GHG emissions mitigation effort while advancing sustainable development goals. A Latin American Perspective on Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry Negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change manuel estrada porrua and andrea garcía-guerrero 15 209 The views expressed in this chapter are solely those of the authors and do not represent the position of the Mexican or Colombian government (or any other Latin American government). The Role of Latin American Countries in Negotiations on LULUCF Issues under the UNFCCC Although national circumstances vary widely, in most Latin American countries forests are valued highly for their environmental, social, cultural, and economic bene fits. At the same time, many countries of the region are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and therefore depend on the successful and timely implementation of an effective global regime to reduce GHG emissions worldwide. Historically the region has supported the multilateral negotiation process through constructive participation and creative proposals based on the principles of sovereignty, equity, environmental integrity, sustainable development, common but differentiated responsibilities, and cost-effectiveness. Negotiating Groups in Latin America The parties to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol are divided into regional groups, which serve as constituencies for the purposes of nominating candidates for elections of members of the UNFCCC Bureau and other bodies such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board, the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee, and the Compliance Committee of the Kyoto Protocol . Latin American countries are represented for these purposes by the “Group of Latin American Countries” (GRULAC). But although delegates sometimes use GRULAC meetings to informally discuss issues under negotiation, it does not act as a negotiating group. With the exception of Mexico, all Latin American countries are part of the Group of 77 (G77) and China.1 However, common positions of the G77 have proved particularly difficult to reach in negotiations on LULUCF issues under the Kyoto Protocol. Latin American members of the group have usually promoted the wide inclusion of carbon sinks in the international climate regime, particularly in the CDM, facing opposition from G77 members with different interests. Mexico, which left the G77 in 1994—when it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)—and which later became a member of the Environmental Integrity Group,2 maintains permanent cooperation with most Latin American countries on LULUCF issues in the negotiations and is usually involved in regional processes and joint submissions to the UNFCCC. The inclusion of sinks in the CDM has been one of the most important negotiation topics under the UNFCCC for Latin American countries. This was re- flected by the creation of the Latin American Initiatives Group (GRILA) during the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 5) in 1999. The creation of GRILA has been the only formally organized attempt by Latin American countries to date to promote a set of particular subjects in the UNFCCC negotia210 manuel estrada porrua and andrea garcía-guerrero tions.3 Bolivia was one of the main promoters of this group, which included almost all the countries of the region with the exception of Brazil, Peru, and Argentina (although the latter was originally part of the group). GRILA held regular meetings that allowed its members to produce joint submissions and a common negotiation strategy. The inclusion of sinks was also supported to some extent by Brazil, Peru, and Argentina, but many other G77 countries, such as those included in the Alliance of Small Island...