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As a native Californian, climate activist, and aspiring climate
scientist (pursuing a masters degree in environmental sciences at
Stanford), I offer my opinion on international carbon offset
programs like REDD, as well as a concise summary of asks from the
Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

International offsets programs allow for us to feel accomplished 
and secure in our efforts to reduce GHG emissions, but without
strong guarantees that the communities directly impacted by such
programs will be protected from disenfranchisement and abuse, I
cannot support such programs, as well-intentioned as they may be.
I had the great privilege of attending COP21, and it was painfully
apparent that given the current state of geopolitics and oversight
infrastructure in many participating countries, such guarantees
cannot currently be made. California is a leader; if the rest of
the world has agreed that mechanisms like REDD are acceptable, we
need to go one step further to create more equitable programs that
safeguard the rights of people while also reducing our emissions.


I support and affirm the Principles of Environmental Justice, the
Principles of Climate Justice with a human rights framework that
includes the American Declaration on the Rights & Duties of Man,
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
While the inclusion of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation (REDD) is not specifically addressed in the
Scoping plan, I urge the CARB to not include international
sector-based offsets programs such as REDD into future plans to
meet 2030 climate goals. I also urge CARB to cancel the process of
including REDD in California’s cap and trade program.  

I urge your committee to refer to comments submitted by the
Environmental Justice Advisory Committee April 4, 2016 which
propose that:

·      California not commit to continuing Cap-and-Trade. Trades
cannot be accurately verified and can be subject to fraud. Market
based proposals perpetuates disproportionate negative impact
exposures to EJ communities.

·      REDD and other market-based proposals should not be included
in the Scoping Plan.

Thank you