Eduardo Braga, Governor of the state of Amazonas, Brazil: If the UN conference in Copenhagen succeeds in creating economic incentives for forest preservation, a stop to Amazonian deforestation by 2020 is realistic.
A Brazilian scheme has managed to slow down the rate of deforestation in the vast forests of Amazonas. Inspired by the progress, Eduardo Braga, Governor of the state of Amazonas, encourages the participants at the UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen by the end of this year to create financial incentives for projects that will reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (known as REDD).
“Copenhagen has to move ahead from Kyoto, and the only way to do so is through REDD funding. I think we can achieve zero deforestation in Amazonas by around 2020, if we start the REDD system, stimulate it and motivate it,” Mr. Braga tells Reuters.
The state of Amazonas has adopted a scheme that compensates local communities that refrain from logging and encourage their citizens to engage in activities such as rubber tapping and fishing instead. The scheme is co-funded by various large companies.
According to the Governor, a further 460 million USD is needed by 2013 to expand the program into new areas and create buffer zones around existing projects. According to a study by consultants McKinsey, it will cost about 7.8 billion USD to bring down Brazilian deforestation to zero.
The current official target of Brazil is to halve the Amazonian deforestation rate over the next ten years.