Capturing Carbon and Conserving Biodiversity: The Market Approach

For decades conservation has been based on the donor-driven principle. It hasn't worked. For centuries, environmental pollution or degradation has been addressed by the same attitude: the 'Polluter Pays' principle. That hasn't worked either. The cycle has to stop. But while everyone talks about using a market-driven approach, few know how to do it. Faced with the situation on the ground what do you do? What is happening? How can you engage a system so that it is self-sustaining and the people self-motivated? This study explores how the growing market in carbon can help to conserve carbon-based life forms. It discusses how reducing global warming and saving biodiversity can both be achieved with the right market conditions. The contributors include conservation biologists, ecologists, biologists, economists, lawyers, community and tribal specialists, financial specialists, market makers, environment specialists, climatologists, resource managers, atmospheric scientists, project developers and corporate fund managers.

Table of Contents:
List of figures and Tables * About the Contributors * Preface Acknowledgements * List of Acronyms and Abbreviations * Introduction * Part 1: Carbon and Climate Change - Forests, Carbon and Global Climate * Changes in the Use and Management of Forests For Abating Carbon Emissions: Issues and Challenges Under the Kyoto Protocol * An Overview of a Free-Market Approach To Climate Change and Conservation * Potential Carbon Mitigation and Income in Developing Countries from Changes in Use and Management of Agricultural and Forest Lands * the Role of Multilateral Institutions * Electricity Generation: Options for Reduction in Carbon Emissions * Measuring, Monitoring and Verification of Carbon Benefits for Forest-Based Projects * Understanding and Managing Leakage in Forest-Based Greenhouse-Gas-Mitigation Projects * Part 2: Environmental Services - The Influence of Land-Use Change and Landscape Dynamics on the Climate System: Relevance to Climate-Change Policy Beyond the Radiative Effect of Greenhouse Gases * Economic, Biological and Policy Constraints on the Adoption of Carbon Farming in Temperate Regions * The Role of Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable-Resource Management in Reducing Greeenhouse-Gas Emissions and Increasing Sinks in China and India * Social Capital from Carbon Property: Creating Equity for Indigenous People * Species Survival and Carbon Retention in Commercially Exploited Tropical Rainforest * Animal Conservation, Carbon and Sustainability * Collateral Biodiversity Benefits Associated with 'Free-Market' Approaches to Sustainable Land Use and Forestry Activities * Developing Markets for Forest Environmental Services: an Opportunity for Promoting Equity While Securing Efficiency * Part 3: the Future Model - Carbon Sinks and Emissions Trading Under the Kyoto Protocol: a Legal Analysis * Protecting Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Climate Through a Global Carbon market * Designing a Carbon Market That Protects Forests in Developing Countries * Greenhouse-Gas-Trading Markets * Index

About the Author :
The editor, Ian R. Swingland, is Emeritus professor of Conservation Biology at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), and Director of Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd

Review :
'Mr Swingland and his co-authors make a compelling case that the best way to reduce the risk of any potential eco-disaster is to embrace market greenery.' The Economist 'This book should be useful for those involved with policy, research, practical conservation or the business development of carbon markets.' Environment Business Magazine 'This set of updated essays is a welcome addition.' The Times Higher