Money for Nothing? Principles and Rules for REDD and their Implications for Protected Areas

This paper explains why, given the likely rules governing REDD and the role of carbon markets in them, the benefits to protected areas are not at all certain. They may not come directly to the protected areas and those who own, develop or maintain them, but rather indirectly, through national governments. Nonetheless, the potential is there, and with a good understanding of some of the basic rules likely to emerge for REDD, protected areas can benefit substantially. This paper was prepared for the workshop: “Connecting Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands to REDD Frameworks” at Stanford University.