Climate Change

HFLD countries retain a high percentage of their original tropical forest cover due to historically low levels of deforestation.

These forests and their carbon stocks are crucial to the long-term fight against climate change. Because HFLD countries have no history of widespread deforestation, some consider them to be at low risk. However, history shows that deforestation to meet growing demands for agriculture, livestock, timber and human settlement will eventually confront all remaining tropical forests.

CI is focusing much of its efforts on developing appropriate policies and financial incentives to ensure that HFLD countries such as Guyana, Suriname and Democratic Republic of Congo and others are compensated for their contribution to the global effort to mitigate climate change by continuing to protect their forests. Including HFLD countries in legislation will meet the goals of reducing displacement of emissions across geographic boundaries and providing secure, adequate incentives for these countries to forge a low-carbon economic development path.