Who will bear the cost of REDD+? Evidence from subnational REDD+ initiatives

While REDD+ has increasingly been accepted in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations and regional and voluntary markets for carbon offsets, there is a vocal and highly visible opposition operating under taglines such as “No REDD” or “REDD Alert” (Cabello and Gilbertson 2010). One of the key concerns of opponents is that insufficient funds will flow from the Global North to the Global South to compensate local people who protect forests. Instead, the costs will be shifted onto underfunded institutions and vulnerable stakeholder groups in developing countries (e.g. Gilbertson 2011).