Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Forest Protection: The Transaction Costs of REDD

Lee Alston and Krister Andersson

No 16756, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Understanding and minimizing the transaction costs of policy implementation are critical for reducing tropical forest losses. As the international community prepares to launch REDD+, a global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from tropical deforestation, policymakers need to pay attention to the transactions costs associated with negotiating, monitoring and enforcing contracts between governments and donors. The existing institutional design for REDD+ relies heavily on central government interventions in program countries. Analyzing new data on forest conservation outcomes, we identify several problems with this centralized approach to forest protection. We describe options for a more diversified policy approach that could reduce the full set of transaction costs and thereby improve the efficiency of the market-based approach for conservation.

JEL-codes: H11 H23 K32 K33 K41 K42 O13 O38 O43 Q15 Q2 Q23 Q24 Q34 Q38 Q49 Q54 Q58 R1 R13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-02
Note: EEE LE PE POL
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Published as Alston, Lee J., and Krister Ander sson, “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Forest Protection: The Transaction Costs of Implementing REDD,” Climate Law 3 (2011): 1‐9. Earlier version published as NBER Working Paper No. 16

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