"CIKEL BRAZILIAn AMAZON REDD"
Avoiding planned deforestation -
forest protection
Para state, BraZIL*
Forests are much more than just carbon sinks. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in the Cikel Brazilian Amazon project. The area is part of the Amazon, the largest remaining rainforest on our planet, and is known for its amazing biodiversity. 15% of all species that occur on our planet find their habitat in the Amazon region.
In the Cikel region in particular, there are some endangered species, including the rare Ka'apori monkey, which depends on the rainforest for its survival.
The carbon offset project is located in the Brazilian state of Para. Around 63% of the Amazon rainforest has already been lost here. Using sustainable deforestation practices that have been certified by the FSC, CIKEL will ensure that the carbon offset project will ensure that 27,400 hectares less rainforest are deforested compared to conventional and traditional deforestation practices.
The project also makes a major contribution to the social development of the region, to the maintenance, improvement and monitoring of biological diversity as well as to the reduction of emissions from deforestation (REDD).
The Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Decomposition (REDD) was initiated by the United Nations to curb the global destruction of forests.
Forest protection measures also lead, among other things, to social advantages for local people who are dependent on the forest.
- Improving the quality of life of those involved in the project through education, schools and improved medical facilities, ecosystems and natural resources
- Schutz der Artenvielfalt
- Employment opportunities
- The region offers great opportunities for scientific research
*Brazil
Paradigm in climate protection
For many years, environmentalists like the WWF have praised Brazil as the real world champion in climate protection. The Brazilians are permanently fighting against deforestation and have meanwhile developed into a model for climate protection. Over the last years, Brazil has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by about one third, saving more than 750 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. This is equivalent to a value of about 2 percent of the global carbon emissions. The major success is mainly due to the drastic ban on the logging of the Amazon jungle. Since 2013, 70 percent fewer square kilometers of the forest are cleared as compared to 2005. (David Nepsted. Earth Innovation Institute, San Francisco)
The government declares land areas as protected areas, and thus contributes to the improvement of the recording of rural areas. In addition, the responsibility for environmental protection measures was shifted to the rural districts, which meant that farmers were no more allowed to be granted credits in the regions with a particularly high forest loss.
Another reason for the success of Brazil is due to the pressure from environmental organizations and large food companies such as Nestlé or McDonald on the country, driven by global trends and fear that their image could be damaged. Since 2006 for example, different campaigns of Greenpeace for instance led to the result that less than 1 percent of the soya and corn cultivation areas was deforested.
Germany also supports Brazil’s efforts in climate protection. In 2015, Angela Merkel provided 550 million Euros, according to a climate protection agreement between Germany and Brazil. The funds will be used specificallyto promote renewable energies and to protect the tropical forest.
This assistance mainly aims at reducing the clearing of the tropical forest to zero by 2020. A large part of these financial resources are development loans of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
During the signing ceremony in situ, the Chancellor emphasized the great importance of the protection of the rainforest: “We are very pleased that there are ambitious developments regarding the halt and the reduction of deforestation”.
