Speaker
Description
Carbon trading markets aim to balance greenhouse gas emissions of the countries by channeling climate finance from developed countries to developing ones by helping them mitigate climate change impacts and promote sustainable development. Carbon offsetting was introduced by the Kyoto Protocol, later expanded through market forces and United Nations’ initiatives in a multi-layered structure spanning from supranational to local levels. However, the complex, multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder nature of the mechanism poses challenges in the operationalisation processes that have been widely criticised for failing to address local needs and exacerbating environmental and social inequalities.
This research explores the ways spatial planning can enhance the operationalisation of carbon markets through policy design, community engagement, and land use management for delivering justice to the local communities with a lens to Uganda. Over the last 20 years, Uganda has become a hotspot for carbon offset projects due to its favorable bureaucratic processes influenced by its colonial legacy, and its conducive natural environment. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the carbon trading mechanisms’ operationalisation, this study employs two different methodologies: firstly, the policy frameworks on environment and land use management are examined to understand the integration of carbon market projects, along with community engagement. Second, it uses desk research and interviews to analyze two contrasting case studies: the top-down Kachung Forest Project (KFP) of the Kyoto Protocol and the participatory Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) project of the voluntary carbon market. The KFP stands as an example of centralized governance in project management through top-down approaches that come from the supranational level and demonstrates its adverse impacts including displacement, lack of community involvement, and environmental degradation. On the other hand, the TGB illustrates the potential of grassroots activities and community-centred approaches to realise effective and efficient carbon offset projects, even though there are still some challenges to reaching long-term sustainability objectives. The findings of this research show that well-designed policies, inclusive management and equitable resource distribution are essential for the carbon offset projects’ success through the experiences of Uganda.
Taken the lessons from the Uganda experiences, this research aims to identify the pathways to address environmental and social inequalities occurs in the carbon trading projects by integrating spatial planning tools and emphasising participatory governance to enhance the equity and effectiveness of carbon offset initiatives to enhance justice on the global level.
References
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Carton, W., & Edstedt, K. (2021). Making, and remaking, a world of carbon: Uneven geographies of carbon sequestration. In The Routledge Handbook of Critical Resource Geography (pp. 401-411). Routledge.
Michaelowa, A., Shishlov, I., & Brescia, D. (2019). Evolution of international carbon markets: lessons for the Paris Agreement. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 10(6), e613. [doi:10.1002/wcc.613]
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Okereke, C., & Coventry, P. (2016). Climate justice and the international regime: before, during, and after Paris. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 7(6), 834-851. [doi:10.1002/wcc.419]
While, A. (2008). Viewpoint: Climate Change and Planning: Carbon Control and Spatial Regulation. The Town Planning Review, 79(1), vii–xiii.
| Keywords | spatial planning; carbon trading mechanism; participatory planning; community engagement |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
