REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

Triggering transformational change in the forestry and land use sectors to implement REDD+ actions and access results-based payments

16/11/2017

What kind of ‘triggers of change’ are needed to further accelerate concrete actions on the ground, at institutional level, and on a global level to scale up REDD+ implementation?

The issue was addressed by Eva Müller, Director of Forestry Policy and Resources, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in her opening remarks at the joint UN-REDD/World Bank Group side event “Scaling up implementation for accessing REDD+ payments” held on 13 November 2017 on the occasion of UNFCCC COP23, Bonn, Germany. The event explored how REDD+ and other forest-focused land-use initiatives can and are boosting implementation towards accessing results-based payments.

Ms Müller acknowledged the countries working towards REDD+ readiness, fulfilling all pillars of the Warsaw Framework, with several countries making headway with REDD+ actions and implementation on the ground. Twenty-five countries have submitted Forest Reference (Emission) Levels to UNFCCC, including the presentation of REDD+ results from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Malaysia, totaling over 6 billion tCO2e. Moreover, FAO’s 2016 State of the World’s Forests Report highlighted the success of more than 20 developing countries that have improved food security in the past 25 years while maintaining or increasing forest cover, showing that agricultural productivity can be increased and food security challenges can be solved without further destroying forest resources.

Ms Müller outlined the triggers of change which contributed to this success and which could guide future REDD+ actions, including better cross-sectoral coordination and promotion of policies on agriculture, food and forests, strengthening public investment in agriculture and forests, strengthening stakeholder engagement, promoting integrated land-use approaches and landscape management, and providing more comprehensive information for evidence-based decisions.

The opening interventions by Vidar Helgesen, Minister for Climate and Environment of Norway, Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF), and Karin Kemper, Senior Director of Environment and Natural Resources, World Bank Group, highlighted the importance of REDD+ and forests in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and stressed the role of partnerships as well as innovative financial avenues and private sector engagement to strengthen supply chains of the forestry sector.  

During the panel discussion, Anne Désirée Ouloto, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Côte d’Ivoire, noted how the national strategy for integrated forestry conservation, including REDD+, and key policy measures such as zero deforestation in the palm oil sector have been key in slowing the deforestation trend in the country. Tarsicio Granizo Tamayo, Minister of Environment of Ecuador – the second country after Brazil to finalize its REDD+ readiness process and be eligible to seek REDD+ results-based payments – flagged the importance of including forest services in GDP and continued capacity development for measuring, reporting and verification. Grace Balawag, Deputy Program Coordinator of Tebtebba, underlined how REDD+ processes have brought about much-needed consultations with indigenous peoples on REDD+ safeguards. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Director of the Viet Nam REDD+ Office, shared how the National REDD+ Action Plan has been used to invest into sustainable agricultural commodities and protect forest areas. Jorge Mario Rodríguez, Executive Director of National Forestry Financing Fund, Costa Rica, underlined the Costa Rica’s early support for REDD+, and how the country’s conservation area has been expanded to 26% through coordinated policies across sectors. He emphasized the role of indigenous peoples in establishing these regulations.

This event was moderated by Ellysar Baroudy, Coordinator, Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)/BioCarbon Fund of the World Bank, and Mario Boccucci, Head of UN-REDD Programme Secretariat.

Read more in the IISD meeting report.

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