Framing REDD+ in the Brazilian national media: how discourses evolved amid global negotiation uncertainties

Abstract

Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) in tropical countries is an important and contested element of the post-Kyoto climate regime. For policy options which generate controversy between diverse actor groups, such as REDD+, mass media plays an important role in defining and supporting policy possibilities. Anaylsis of the way in which national media frames issues of climate change and deforestation can offer insights into the nature of the contested domains of the REDD+ policy process. Here we examine the Brazilian national media discourses surrounding REDD+ because it contributes to setting the tone of policy debates at the federal level. Specifically we ask: (i) How was REDD+ portrayed in the Brazilian national print media and whose opinions and perceptions were represented?; (ii) How have media frames on REDD+ in the national print media changed over time? Our results contribute with new knowledge for understanding the observed progress of REDD+ in Brazil. We identify two main themes that dominate the focus in the national media coverage of REDD+, specifically, 'Politics and policymaking' (representing half the coverage) and 'Economics and market' (with over a third). Results show that discussions around carbon markets were among the most contested and that optimism in relation to REDD+ effectiveness declined over time. The analysis suggests that positions adopted on the national REDD+ strategy were shaped by state and federal collision of interests. We demonstrate an evolution of national concerns from an initial focus on efficiency (i.e. finance and carbon markets) to a recentered focus on equity issues (i.e. implementation of safeguards). We conclude with some thoughts on the implications of these features for REDD+ interventions and implementation in Brazil.

Policy learning as complex contagion: how social networks shape organizational beliefs in forest-based climate change mitigation

“…Policy beliefs in established subsystems are less likely to change than in nascent ones, where conflict lines between opposing coalitions are weaker (Ingold et al, 2017). Thus, although the REDD+ subsystem is nascent in Brazil, it is linked to existing and strongly ideological and polarized debates about forest carbon offsetting, anti-deforestation approaches, and land use across actors and levels of governance (Gebara et al, 2017). In Indonesia, the policy domain has been less conflictual as debates in the early years of REDD+ were dominated by positive views, with some contention about reconciling economic and environmental protection, but dominant policy actors portraying reconciliatory win-win solutions (Cronin et al, 2016).…”

Achieving the climate goal with intergovernmental transfers to the forestry sector: insights from the Indian experience

“…Carbon sequestration values are calculated using data on forest biomass and the market price for carbon. Carbon stock in India increased by 1054 million tonnes between 1994 and 2018 (FSI 2011b(FSI , 2019b.…”

REDD+: la transformación - Lecciones y nuevas direcciones

“…La investigación comparativa indica que las coaliciones de políticas más visibles en los medios de comunicación no cuestionan las tendencias "de siempre" (businessas-usual) (Luttrell et al 2013;Cronin et al 2016;Khatri et al 2016;Gebara et al 2017;Pham et al 2017a). Por ejemplo, en Indonesia y Papúa Nueva Guinea, el discurso de la coalición con mayor presencia en los medios, dominada por actores estatales, se centra en gran medida en el financiamiento que dan los países industrializados a las actividades de REDD+ .…”