Basic knowledge

REDD+ is the term given to the concept of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks; it is part of the negotiation process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Globally, deforestation contributes about one-fifth of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and REDD+ is therefore central to global efforts to mitigate climate change. The aim of REDD+ is to encourage developing countries to contribute to climate-change mitigation by 1) reducing GHG emissions by slowing, halting and reversing forest loss and degradation; and 2) increasing removals of GHGs from the atmosphere through the conservation, management and expansion of forests.

The contribution of REDD+ to reducing GHG emissions and increasing forest carbon sinks is recognized explicitly in the Paris Agreement. This agreement, which was struck by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015, encourages all countries – both developed and developing – to take action to implement and support the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ and other relevant decisions already agreed under the UNFCCC.

When the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015, the Green Climate Fund was given an important role in serving the agreement and supporting the goal of keeping climate change well below 2 degrees Celsius. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. It specifically supports countries’ REDD+ efforts, both early phases of REDD+ and results-based payments for forest emissions reductions. It is expected that the GCF will increase access to finance for REDD+ activities. The GCF is committed to liberating the potential of the private sector. It can finance private sector projects relating to mitigation and adaptation activities at all levels. For instance, it can support sustainable agriculture practices, expansion of forest areas, deforestation-free supply chains, etc. (see the Climate change adaptation and mitigation module for additional information).

In more depth

REDD+ phases

Countries interested in REDD+ are required to progress through three phases (UNFCCC Decision 1/CP.16, paragraph 73):

1. the readiness phase, involving the development of national strategies or action plans, PAMs, and capacity building;
2. the implementation of national strategies and results-based demonstration activities, involving the implementation of PAMs and national strategies or action plans that could involve further capacity building, technology development and transfer, and results-based demonstration activities; and
3. results-based actions that should be fully measured, reported and verified.

Most countries are in the readiness phase (phase 1), although some are moving into phase 2. Forest and land managers may benefit from capacity development, services and incentives through all the phases; contribute to demonstration activities in phase 2; and benefit from incentives through their contributions to the implementation of national REDD+ strategies in phase 3.

Under UNFCCC decisions, developing countries aiming to access REDD+ results-based payments must have in place the following four main elements (called the “Warsaw pillars”):

• a national strategy or action plan;
• a national forest monitoring system;
• a forest reference emission level or forest reference level; and
• a safeguards information system.

These elements are to be developed by national governments, but forest and land managers can play a role in the formulation and especially the implementation of national REDD+ strategies.

الوحدات ذات الصلة

REDD+ يساهم خفض الانبعاثات الناتجة عن إزالة الغابات وتدهورها في تحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة: