PNG poses REDD questions to Europe in AWG LCA

Today, in the meetings the AWG LCA is having a workshop on sub-paragraphs 1 b i and 1 b ii of the Bali Action Plan (you can read those here). For those of you not familiar with the arcane UN codewords, today's workshops are discussing what mitigation commitments developed countries will take (1 b i) and what nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) will be taken by developing countries (1 b ii).

Europe had presented what they thought developing countries should do, which included developing countries drafting low carbon/emission development plans and then registering their needs for resources to meet these plans, and then wealthy countries could also register to support the plans. In other words, Europe proposed matching actions with support.

Papua New Guinea's representative Kevin Conrad asked two questions related to REDD:
1) The first question was how do the proposed low carbon/emission differ from NAMAs, which was the already agreed language from Bali.

2) The second question from PNG was given Europe's position that it did not want to see REDD in carbon markets before 2020, wouldn't that create a perverse incentive for countries NOT to propose reducing deforestation until 2020?

3) A third question was on the nature of the registry. Kevin pointed out that given there was likely to be more need than resources, it would create a sort of reverse auctioning. He suggested that would disadvantage developing countries (presumably meaning a race to cheapest mitigation).

India followed up on the registry question, asking how they would work? Would other financial institutions run these?

Europe responded:
We are not here to re-write the Bali Action plan. we see our proposed low carbon development plans as supporting NAMAs, not replacing them.

On REDD, Europe said "we need to learn under what conditions we can link markets with REDD. And in the meantime, we need alternative funding for REDD."

In other words, it is indeed (sadly) looking like Europe is distancing itself from REDD as a market mechanism in a Copenhagen accord.

Responding to India's question about how a registry would work, Europe basically said it is still thinking it through and looks forward to discussing this with other parties...