REDD+, Bioenergy and CCS side event in COP-18

The REDD-PAC project team, represented by Florian Kraxner (IIASA) participated in a side event in Climate Change COP-18 in Doha, held 4 December 2012. The side event hightlighted possible sinergies between REDD+, bioenergy and carbon capture and storage.

The side event is motivated by aspirations to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in emerging economies such as Brazil and Indonesia. These reductions are closely linked through synergies and opportunities of developing bioenergy potentials. There is a potential for a win-win strategy providing energy security, economic development and climate change mitigation.

Combining bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can on top of this lead to negative emissions thus improving the bargaining situation of tropical forest countries in climate negotiations, generating early mover advantages in terms of technology and producing important co-benefits for e.g. the conservation of biodiversity when powered by REDD+ schemes. This side event discussed the REDD+/BECCS nexus and identified funding synergies enabling a full exploitation of these opportunities.