Welcome to REDD Trust LLC
REDD4GREEN SM
REDD TRUST LLC develops carbon offset projects that Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). While most forest-based carbon offset projects aim to reforest land that has been previously cleared, REDD projects aspire to conserve standing forests. Forest conservation is important because forests provide many ecosystem services that are invaluable to the world's overall health and well-being. They protect needed biodiversity, provide important watersheds, and are a source of food, pharmaceuticals and a variety of forest-based products upon which millions of people depend.
Forests also play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide like a set of lungs for the planet. In fact, they store more carbon than both the atmosphere and the world's oil reserves together, converting carbon to organic matter through the process of photosynthesis. Because this carbon stock is so immense, clearing and burning the forests accounts for approximately 20% of all mankind's carbon emissions responsible for global warming.
Deforestation of these areas is primarily driven by agriculture, logging and road expansion. Rising prices for forest-based products make it increasingly more profitable for landowners to clear their land for other uses, legally or illegally. Consequently, proponents of REDD argue that because market forces are causing the forests to be destroyed to make way for profitable enterprise, then farmers and landowners should be provided monetary incentive to leave their forests stand.
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol established emission reduction targets for its signatories, stating two means by which this objective could be reached: either participants take actions to reduce their own domestic emissions or they pay someone else to reduce their emissions, and thereby offset their own.
The Kyoto Protocol does recognize forest credits from reforestation and afforestation projects. Reforestation is the replanting of forests that were recently diminished or destroyed, while afforestation is the planting of forests long gone or never existant. Both can be used to generate offsets under Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), but only via narrowly defined terms. Meanwhile, Kyoto excluded REDD as an offset option. Consequently, credits generated from REDD projects are marketable only on the voluntary market where they are sold well below the regulatory carbon market price.
The voluntary carbon market has evolved in response to a demand from buyers who want to reduce their carbon footprint even though they are not subject to regulations mandating emissions reductions. These buyers may be companies, individuals or other organizations motivated by concerns about social responsibility and climate change. REDD projects are particularly desirable to these buyers not only because they offset some or all of their emissions, but also because they provide a multitude of other benefits, including the protection of biodiversity and delicate ecosystems crucial to our planet's survival.
REDD projects are controversial because, among other reasons, they raise the question of a sovereign nation's right to utilize their forest resources. Furthermore, even greater concern has been expressed over the rights of forest-dependent communities such as the indigenous to the fair use and enjoyment of their land without unreasonable restriction. Many policy-making bodies within the international community are worried that the potential billions in profit from the sale of forest carbon stocks will further enrich already wealthy private investors, thereby leaving the indigenous unrepresented, unconsulted and uncompensated for the benefits their land provide.
In spite of the myriad of controversy surrounding REDD projects, we at REDD TRUST steadfastly believe that every step, no matter how small, is an important incremental step toward preserving our planet's purity for future generations. We agree with, support and believe that all means and methods for combating global warming, Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and waste reduction is an important and valiant cause. We also believe that REDD is a very important component of this effort, without which, our forests will be inevitably whittled away to nothing, perchance never to be restored within the meaningful future.
REDD TRUST also believes there are certain inalienable rights inherent to all people groups regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. Among these rights are the enjoyment of peace, the protection of personal property, and the right to pursue prosperity. Because of our commitment to respect these rights, REDD TRUST endeavors to cooperate with farmers, landowners, governments, forest-based communities and indigenous peoples for the benefit of the greater good by engaging in fair business practices, considering the communities' needs from their perspective, and by providing just compensation for the use of their property.
REDD TRUST also commits to provide just compensation with in-kind performance, providing housing, healthcare, clothing, food, medicine, education, clean water, childcare and other necessaries. We propose to accomplish this not just through our own efforts, but also by working with established, reputable non-profit organizations already trusted for their work in these areas. Additionally, we recognize the need for sustainable economic development; thus, we also commit to provide funding for small businesses developed by local peoples.
REDD TRUST is presently seeking land for acquisition in four ways:
1. Acquisition of forested land by outright purchase.
2. Acquisition of forested land by authorized government concession.
3. Acquisition of forested land by conservation agreement.
4. Acquisition of forested land by joint venture with public and/or private land owners.
If you would like to learn more about REDD TRUST LLC and our present projects, or to contact us regarding forested land of interest, please email our CEO at anessa.allen@reddtrust.com.