carbonparadox.org

How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. 

Now we have some hope of making progress. (Niels Bohr)

Day 4: Speed Paradox

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Today’s paradox is short, as we talk about speed. When it comes to funding a forestry project – in fact, any impactful project – timing is everything.

Here is the paradox: If you move too fast, you might cut short essential steps in your due diligence, risking the quality and impact of the project. 

But if you move too slowly, trying to check every box and avoid every risk, the forest you’re trying to save might be gone by the time your full assessment is complete.

The numbers are staggering:  While you’ve been reading this short text, about twenty football fields of forest were cut down.

Have you experienced the speed paradox? If so, how can you address it? How can you speed up project implementation without running outsized risks?

Comments

2 responses to “Day 4: Speed Paradox”

  1. Ramazan Aslan Avatar
    Ramazan Aslan

    Preserving forests is not the duty of the carbon project developers and indeed they cannot prevent all forests. This is the duty of the jurisdictions and local powers. However, the major risks observed during the project development can be reported to the authorities and local security forces to take action immediately. On the other hand, it is a fact that project development still requires too many bureaucratic tasks and inefficient tools.

    Digitalization of the process, streamlining the tasks to optimize the efforts including utilizing AI tools would save lots of time. Still, essential principles are requirements (eg conservative baseline determination, full and inclusive participation of local and indigenous people, additionally determination, proper MRV and quantification etc) shall be applied stringently to prevent any quality concerns on the projects.

    Reply
  2. Angie Hernandez Avatar
    Angie Hernandez

    Imagine you did everything perfectly and somehow you managed to also move fast. But then you get stuck in year-long delays due to:

    – carbon standards taking it extra slow in validations
    – buyers waiting to decide on ICVCM decisions that may or may not happen
    – governments not sure what they want to do and not taking decisions on carbon registries, regulations or baseline approaches.

    Then all your speed was in vain. It actually gets you into new paradoxa:

    – You probably get in trouble with your participating farmers that have since years committed to conservation and don’t see payments forthcoming
    – Science might have advanced so a 3-year-long process through validation makes your PDD obsolete before you even got to issuance.

    It is essential for a Foundation that wants to engage in carbon markets that the rules can be relied on and not a moving goal post while the project is implemented, and it is essential that governments get moving on their decisions on carbon market rules and infrastructure.

    Reply

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