Beyond Carbon: Ensuring Justice and Equity in REDD+ Across Levels of Governance

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) has rapidly become a key pillar of international cooperation on climate change. Since its inception in 2005, REDD+ has grown in scope from being a cheap mitigation option and opportunity to address the 15-20% of global GHG emissions attributed to deforestation into a wider set of activities that reach beyond the carbon dimension of REDD+. They promote forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and forest conservation as well as deliver co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. A host of state and non-state actors at all levels of governance have entered this emerging policy field.
This conference takes stock of these developments to date. It addresses them from both natural and social science perspectives and discusses the role of justice and equity in current debates on REDD+. Its particular aim is to discuss the limits and opportunities in deriving co-benefits from REDD+ activities.

Call for Papers

Abstracts are invited for the following four themes:
Ecological dimensions of justice and equity in REDD+
Socio-political dimensions of justice and equity in REDD+
Role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in REDD+
How can REDD+ deliver more than carbon benefits?

Please submit an abstract of up to 400 words for oral presentations, specifying one of the themes above, at http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/redd/index.php. The deadline is noon GMT, 4 January 2012. Decisions will be sent by 9 January 2012. Full papers should be uploaded by 19 March 2012. Revised papers submitted to [email protected] by 15 April 2012 will be considered for submission to a special issue in a high-impact academic journal.

For questions please email Maria Mansfield ([email protected]).

Provisional Agenda

DAY 1

8:00-9:00 Registration and coffee/light breakfast
9:00-9:15 Introduction to the Conference
9:15-10:15 Plenary Session: Framing the Problem of Deforestation
Keynote: From Natural Science to Social Policy
Keynote: What is REDD+ and who is framing the discourse?
10:15-10:30 Q&A
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:00 Panel discussion: Justice and Equity in REDD+
12:00-12:30 Q&A
12:30-2:00 Lunch
2:00-3:30 Parallel sessions: Ecological dimensions of justice and equity in REDD+
(Speakers selected from call for papers)
3:30-4:00 Coffee break
4:00-5:30 Parallel sessions: Socio-political dimensions of justice and equity in REDD+
(Speakers selected from call for papers)
7:00 Conference Dinner (Exeter College)

DAY 2

8:45-9:15 Coffee/light breakfast
9:15-10:15 Plenary Session: Novel Approaches
Keynote: Role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in REDD+
Keynote: How can REDD+ deliver more than carbon benefits?
10:15-10:30 Q&A
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:30 Parallel sessions: Role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in REDD+
(Speakers selected from call for papers)
12:30-2:00 Lunch
2:00-3:30 Parallel sessions: How can REDD+ deliver more than carbon benefits?
(Speakers selected from call for papers)
3:30-4:00 Coffee break
4:00-5:30 Closing Plenary: Taking stock and next steps
Report from each plenary and conference highlight sound bytes