Protecting tropical forests from the rapid expansion of rubber using carbon payments

Abstract

Expansion of Hevea brasiliensis rubber plantations is a resurgent driver of deforestation, carbon emissions, and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian rubber extent is massive, equivalent to 67% of oil palm, with rapid further expansion predicted. Results-based carbon finance could dis-incentivise forest conversion to rubber, but efficacy will be limited unless payments match, or at least approach, the costs of avoided deforestation. These include opportunity costs (timber and rubber profits), plus carbon finance scheme setup (transaction) and implementation costs. Using comprehensive Cambodian forest data, exploring scenarios of selective logging and conversion, and assuming land-use choice is based on net present value, we find that carbon prices of $30–$51 per tCO2 are needed to break even against costs, higher than those currently paid on carbon markets or through carbon funds. To defend forests from rubber, either carbon prices must be increased, or other strategies are needed, such as corporate zero-deforestation pledges, and governmental regulation and enforcement of forest protection.

Quantifying carbon stocks in shifting cultivation landscapes under divergent management scenarios relevant to REDD+

“…However, many areas dominated by shifting cultivation are remote for large‐scale timber and crop markets, while prices may vary, it is highly likely that they would remain low compared to the opportunity costs in less remote areas of the tropics (e.g., Borneo [Fisher et al. ], Indochina [Warren‐Thomas ]). Moreover, protected areas are unlikely to avoid all degradation and deforestation, so protection may reduce carbon loss to a slightly smaller extent than suggested by our models.…”

Environmental Violation Fines Growth in the Northern Region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil

“…This position reinforce the importance of having a monitoring system based on remote sensing images. Such initiatives are already implemented in other Brazilian biomes (Nicolle & Leroy 2017;Watanabe et al, 2018;Warren-Thomas et al, 2018;Reiche et al, 2018;Bouvet et al, 2018;Silva et al, 2018;Grecchi et al, 2017;Carvalho et al, 2017). Thus, based on the scores presented in Figure 3, it could be demonstrated that the categories related to Fauna, Pollution and Others had a number of environmental violations smaller than Flora.…”

Economically viable forest restoration in shifting cultivation landscapes

“…The low expected revenue of new cultivation cycles in combination with the high carbon stocks (Vashum et al 2016, Borah et al 2018, Salunkhe et al 2018 suggest a highly cost-effective route to prevent cycle establishment in primary forests. These costs are approximately 10-to 20-fold lower than those required to match the opportunity costs of preventing establishment of oil palm or rubber in the region (Fisher et al 2011a, Warren-Thomas et al 2018.…”