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Tropical Deforestation

Motu’s work on tropical deforestation focuses on the design of international policy for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). It builds on Suzi Kerr's earlier work on deforestation, carbon sequestation, carbon reference levels, and deforestation policy in Costa Rica.

Publications

Development and Deforestation: evidence from Costa Rica

Authors: Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez

Other

We estimate the drivers of deforestation in Costa Rica through the 20th century. Deforestation rates in Costa Rica rise initially and then fall. Our empirical approach and panel data allow us to explore new questions…

What Would Happen Without Carbon Policy? reviewing and improving estimated baselines for tropical forests and sequestered carbon

Authors: Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff

Other

Regulations such as the Kyoto Protocol aim to limit worldwide net carbon emissions and could be quite costly for Annex 1 countries. “Carbon trading” could reduce the costs of restricting emissions and has been included…

National Exotic Forestry Description

Dataset

Statistical tables that describe New Zealand’s planted forests area in detail, and forest activity data such as planting and harvesting. Data documentation includes details about the origins and generation of the data, Motu contacts, and uses…

Effects of poverty on deforestation: distinguishing behaviour from location

Authors: Jason Timmins | Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez | Leslie Lipper | Romina Cavatassi

Article

We review theory linking poverty to deforestation and examine this link using multiple observations of Costa Rica after 1960. Country-wide disaggregate data facilitate empirical analysis of poverty's location and its impact on deforestation. If where the…

Will Buying Tropical Forest Carbon Benefit The Poor? Evidence from Costa Rica

Authors: Jo Hendy | Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez | Leslie Lipper | Romina Cavatassi

Article

We review claims linking both payments for carbon and poverty to deforestation. We examine these effects empirically for Costa Rica during the late 20th century using an econometric approach that addresses the irreversibilities in deforestation.…

What Would Have Happened? Reviewing and Improving Estimated Baselines for Tropical Forests and Sequestered Carbon

Author: Alexander Pfaff

Article

Regulations such as the Kyoto Protocol aim to limit worldwide net carbon emissions and could be quite costly for Annex 1 countries. "Carbon trading" could reduce the costs of restricting emissions and has been included…

The Dynamics of Deforestation and the Supply of Carbon Sequestration: Illustrative Results from Costa Rica

Authors: Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez

Article

Developing countries around the world face the dual challenge of speeding up economic growth and slowing down environmental degradation, two objectives that are perceived to be in direct conflict.

The chapters in this volume demonstrate for…

Bigger is Better: Avoided Deforestation Offsets in the Face of Adverse Selection

Authors: Suzi Kerr | Arthur van Benthem

Working Paper

This report was commissioned by the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University, Stanford CA as PESD Working Paper #102

Voluntary opt-in programs to reduce emissions in unregulated sectors or countries have spurred considerable discussion. Since any…

Will Buying Tropical Forest Carbon Benefit the Poor? Evidence from Costa Rica

Authors: Jo Hendy | Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez | Leslie Lipper | Romina Cavatassi

Working Paper

Produced as ESA Working Paper No. 4-20

We review claims about the potential for carbon markets that link both payments for carbon services and poverty levels to ongoing rates of tropical deforestation. We then examine these effects empirically…

Effects of poverty on deforestation: distinguishing behavior from location

Authors: Jason Timmins | Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Arturo Sanchez | Leslie Lipper | Romina Cavatassi

Working Paper

This report was produced as ESA Working Paper No. 04-19

We summarize existing theoretical claims linking poverty to rates of deforestation and then examine this linkage empirically for Costa Rica during the 20th century using an econometric approach…

Seeing the Forest and Saving the Trees: Tropical Land-Use Change and Global Climate Policy

Author: Suzi Kerr

Working Paper

Manuscript in Can Carbon Sinks Be Operational? Resources for the Future Discussion Paper no. 0126

Tropical forests are potentially large stores of carbon and can be used to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. However their incorporation in global climate…

The Economics of International Policy Agreements to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

Author: Suzi Kerr

Working Paper

An updated version of this paper was published in the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy. Please cite the updated version.

This paper provides a synthesis of the key conceptual insights from economics that can contribute…

Optimizing Voluntary Deforestation Policy in the Face of Adverse Selection and Costly Transfers

Authors: Suzi Kerr | Arthur van Benthem

Working Paper

As part of international climate change policy, voluntary opt-in programs to reduce emissions in unregulated sectors or countries have spurred considerable discussion. Since any regulator will make errors in predicting baselines, adverse selection will reduce…

Tropical Forest Protection, Uncertainty and Carbon Policy Integrity

Authors: Jo Hendy | Suzi Kerr | Alexander Pfaff | Liu Shuguang

Working Paper

Tropical forests are estimated to release approximately 1.7 PgC per year as a result of deforestation. Avoiding tropical deforestation could potentially play a significant role in carbon mitigation over the next 50 years if not…
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