Seeds sown

delegates from across the world recently discussed the nitty-gritty of afforestation and reforestation projects that might be executed under the Kyoto Protocol -- the international pact on global warming. These ventures would aim to sequester carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere. The deliberations were held during a meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (unfcc) Subsidiary Body For Scientific and Technological Advice, at Bonn in Germany from June 16-25.

Participants agreed on a common format to be used by countries for reporting on greenhouse inventories from activities involving the use of land and changes in the use of land and forests, including afforestation, reforestation and deforestation. But the debate on simplifying procedures for small-scale afforestation and reforestation projects was inconclusive.

Countries differed in their views on clustering small projects to decrease transaction costs and on how to address the possibility of increase in emissions outside project boundaries as unintended consequences of activities within the project areas.

These increased emissions have been referred to as leakages. Japan proposed assuming no leakages, as these wouldn't have any major impacts due to the small size of the projects. Besides, monitoring these leakages would prove very costly. India and Canada supported this view but the Alliance of Small Island States (aosis), Brazil and the eu opposed it. Also, while Bolivia favoured the clustering of small projects, aosis and Brazil were concerned that they might be used to take advantage of the simpler procedures, leading to possible foul play.

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