Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

Figure 2. Annual Global Emissions from Deforestation and Fossil FuelsFigure taken from IPCC, Climate Change 2007 Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers (2008).• Forests also remove CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis,the conversion ofForests as Carbon SinksForests are one of the most important carbon sinks,storing more carbon than both the atmosphere andthe world’s oil reserves.Forests are massive reservoir of carbon, estimatedto be 4,500 GtC: Forests have more CO2 than in the remainingoil stocks (2,400 GtC); Forests have more CO2 than in the atmosphere(3,000 GtC).atmospheric carbondioxide to oxygen.The IPCC AR4 reportsays that forestsand terrestrial sinksabsorb 2.6 GtCannually. However,massive amounts ofcarbon and methanestored in the forestis released into theatmosphere becauseof deforestation.• REDD is currently negotiated in the ongoing climate change talks: AWG-LCA – substantially being debated as partof the mitigation building block SBSTA - also dealing with the methodologicalissues around REDD. SBSTA30 (30th Session of GtC - GigatonneSBSTA), held in June 2009, came up with Draft of CarbonConclusions and a “Draft text for a decisionon methodological guidance for activitiesrelated to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in50 <strong>Guide</strong> on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples