Nepal to implement carbon trade agreement after 2012
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
KATHMANDU, Aug. 19 (Xinhua): The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) of Nepal has said that the implementation of the agreement on carbon-trading would begin after 2012, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported today.
Jagadish Baral, chief of the international coordination department at the MoFSC, said, "we have entered into an agreement with the World Bank and we have also taken first payment as per the agreement. But the agreement will be implemented only after 2012."
He said that the World Bank would pay around 10 U.S. dollars for a ton of carbon. Community forests cover around 1.3 million hectares (13 billion square meters), while government and other forests cover more than five million hectares of land. A forest spread in one hectare produces 1.8 metric tons of carbon, Baral said.
He said Nepal would start receiving carbon trade money only after 2012.
Ghanashyam Pandey, president of the Federation of Community Forest Consumers Nepal, accused developed countries of trying to colonize developing and under- developed countries in the name of carbon trade. He asked the MoFSC to publicize the agreement reached with the World Bank.
"The agreement is nothing but a political strategy to colonize developing and under- developing countries," he said.
He demanded that the government establish local communities' ownership over forests before starting carbon-trade, according to the report.
Jagadish Baral, chief of the international coordination department at the MoFSC, said, "we have entered into an agreement with the World Bank and we have also taken first payment as per the agreement. But the agreement will be implemented only after 2012."
He said that the World Bank would pay around 10 U.S. dollars for a ton of carbon. Community forests cover around 1.3 million hectares (13 billion square meters), while government and other forests cover more than five million hectares of land. A forest spread in one hectare produces 1.8 metric tons of carbon, Baral said.
He said Nepal would start receiving carbon trade money only after 2012.
Ghanashyam Pandey, president of the Federation of Community Forest Consumers Nepal, accused developed countries of trying to colonize developing and under- developed countries in the name of carbon trade. He asked the MoFSC to publicize the agreement reached with the World Bank.
"The agreement is nothing but a political strategy to colonize developing and under- developing countries," he said.
He demanded that the government establish local communities' ownership over forests before starting carbon-trade, according to the report.