Climate Change Policies and Issues: A Tool for Increased Wood Production in Developing Countries

Abstract

Climate change is a reality and forest trees are a major mitigating factor since they can sequester carbon dioxide and store carbon. Current climate change policy frameworks should address increased wood production in developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol (Article 3.3) should emphasize afforestation and reforestation while promoting increased use of wood products via wood recycling and good forest management. Sustainable forest management in Nigeria arising from global concern for climate change has led to increased afforestation programmes with the intensive taungya system and private establishment of many hectares of teak plantation in Nigeria. Ethiopia, Turkey, Kenya, and Mexico have planted 100–700 million trees under the UNEP tree planting programme initiative from 2006 to 2008. Legislation on Kyoto Protocol implementation may have to place emphasis on higher prices for trees that are to be given off (carbon trading) instead of being cut. A carbon tax incentive for tree planters will increase wood production and possible environmental protection. Those who contributed least to the atmospheric build-up of greenhouse gases are the least equipped to deal with the negative impacts; therefore, policies and issues in climate change should promote increased wood production in developing nations. The need to make policy issues in climate change to address increased wood production in developing nations is addressed in this paper.