The role of government in operationalising markets for REDD+ in Indonesia

Henry James Boer

Forest Policy and Economics, 2018, vol. 86, issue C, 4-12

Abstract: The global climate initiative Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initially included carbon markets as one potential policy mechanism to finance a range of forestry projects in developing countries. Indonesia was an early leader on REDD+, and set up the regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems to support demonstration projects that could trade credits in voluntary carbon markets. This article applies a neoliberal governmentality framework to evaluate the development of REDD+ market institutions in Indonesia during the Readiness period between 2008 and 2013. It critiques the role of the state in this process, and how the authority of public agencies shapes the actions of private subjects. The case of Indonesia indicates a pivotal role for government agencies at multiple levels in integrating the operation of REDD+ market activities within a supportive regime of forest and land management. Critical to this process was legislation to trade in forest carbon and obtain project licenses, devolved land-use planning and forest management that could support commercial activities, and robust MRV surveillance systems to oversee on-ground activities. Despite these efforts, projects were often subject to an uncertain and highly contested forest management regime, undermining attempts to demonstrate the viability of operationalising market mechanisms at the local scale.

Keywords: REDD+; Carbon markets; Indonesia policy; Governmentality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389934117300515
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:forpol:v:86:y:2018:i:c:p:4-12

DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2017.10.004

Access Statistics for this article

Forest Policy and Economics is currently edited by M. Krott

More articles in Forest Policy and Economics from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().