Climate protection has been on everyone's lips since the climate change conference in Bali last December, if not before. One way of preventing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is to protect the world's remaining forests from destruction, since they act as our planet's green lungs and bind enormous quantities of carbon, as do the world's oceans. The international debate on preventing deforestation is now focusing on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). The new GTZ Environment and Climate Change Division headed by Stephan Paulus issued invitations to a workshop on this topic at the beginning of February. Over 120 participants came to discuss the development potential offered by climate protection through forest conservation, among other issues.

In this interview, Stephan Paulus outlines the opportunities for protecting our climate by preventing deforestation, informs us on the current status of the international debate and the contribution GTZ can make.

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