Rainforests are rightly considered to be the first—and last—line of defense in global efforts to combat climate change. The same rainforests that protect billions of people from rising carbon emissions, however, can also be stripped to provide economic security for millions. This generation’s challenge will be reconciling the competing priorities and divergent economic realities of the developed and developing worlds—a challenge that could define the future of the climate crisis.
In late June, Norway offered an apparent solution. Through the United Nations’ Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), Norway transferred $17 million to the West African nation of Gabon to help protect its rainforest. Norway has claimed that the initiative is meant to discourage—and even stop—logging and deforestation, thus protecting Gabon’s rainforest. And in Gabon, it’s a welcome notion. Even before CAFI, the country’s forests minister had announced plans to sell carbon credits to offset emissions and enable investments in green projects.
