Evaluating Carbon Offsets from Forestry and Energy Projects

Under the clean development mechanism, developing countries will be able to produce certified emissions reductions (CERs, sometimes called "offsets") through projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions below business-as-usual levels. The challenges of setting up offset markets are considerable. Do forestry projects, as a class, have more difficulty than energy projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ways that are real, measurable, additional, and consistent with sustainable development?