This paper applies contingent valuation to assess public awareness of tropical deforestation; to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) to conserve tropical forests; and to determine the impact of the payment vehicle on the stated willingness to pay.
This study focused specifically on one perceived opportunity for developing IPES, namely the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). REDD refers to any conservation or sustainable land-use initiative that effectively mitigates a real deforestation/degradation threat in a given area. Considering that close to 25% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation, REDD is currently being considered as a potentially promising climate change mitigation strategy.
