Woods Hole Research Center

WHRC at COP 17, November - December 2011:

Scientists, capacity-building experts, and policy analysts from WHRC travel to Durban, South Africa, to take part in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. Activities include presentation of new research at a half-day workshop, an official UNFCCC side event, and Forest Day 5, as well as participation in ongoing climate change negotiations. COP 17 information includes daily updates from WHRC staff, an overview of major themes and issues explored, and relevant publications and presentations.

Bridging Science to International Climate Policy under the UNFCCC:

A central component of the mission of the Woods Hole Research Center is informing environmental decision-makers and stakeholders with sound scientific research and data regarding key environmental issues. The Center was instrumental in informing the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has continued to be an active participant in climate change negotiations. These pages explore the history of WHRC engagement in annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the UNFCCC, from COP 1 in 1995, through COP 16 in 2010.

Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative:

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a multi-state plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electric power plants over 10 states of the northeast from Maine to Maryland. Woods Hole Research Center scientists are characterizing land cover types in RGGI region, determining the spatial distribution of carbon stocks and determining the current net sources and sinks of carbon from the land. WHRC scientists are also evaluating the potential for future carbon sequestration and releases of carbon. This research will provide to RGGI a system for calculating current and potential sources and sinks of carbon from land use change and land management.

BANTER: The Brazilian Amazon Negotiation Toolbox for the Economics of REDD:

Brazil is leading the way in adopting policies to reduce deforestation and taking on ambitious reduction targets. A central element of a strategy to reduce deforestation is understanding the distribution, at the sub-national level, of benefits and costs of REDD policies. Quantitative economic analysis can provide useful insights on the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of REDD strategies. The Brazilian Amazon Negotiation Toolbox for the Economics of REDD (BANTER) is a spreadsheet-based economic tool that helps examine the economic and environmental effects in the Brazilian Amazon of different REDD mechanism designs. BANTER is designed to support REDD negotiations among states in the Brazilian Amazon by allowing users to compare emissions reductions, avoided deforestation and revenue generation at the state level across proposed REDD design options.