Are land use activities eligible under the Clean Development Mechanism?
Although Article 3.3 of the Kyoto Protocol specifically mentions the role of afforestation, reforestation and deforestation (although not forest conservation) for reaching the targets agreed by Annex B countries, Article 12 on the Clean Development Mechanism refers only to “emission reductions” with no mention of any specifically eligible activities. The vagueness of the protocol in this regard has allowed a disturbingly broad scope for interpretation, and totally opposite views have been put forward. Countries that want forestry included have argued that Article 12 implicitly refers to the activities listed in the main body of the Kyoto Protocol text (Articles 3.3 and 3.4), while those that do not want forestry included argue that only fossil fuel based emission reduction activities should be allowed. Even among those promoting the inclusion of forestry activities, a further point of contention is the types of forestry activity that should be considered. Some countries propose only th
