UN REDD Programme
"The battle against climate change cannot be won without the world’s forests - this is now clear. This initiative will not only demonstrate how forests can have an important role as part of a post-2012 climate regime. It will also help build much needed confidence that the world community is ready to support the implementation of an inclusive, ambitious and comprehensive climate regime once it is ratified."
Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary-General
What is REDD
Deforestation and forest degradation, through agricultural expansion, conversion to pastureland, infrastructure development, destructive logging, fires etc., account or nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions1, ore than the entire global transportation sector and second only to the energy sector.
It is now clear that in order to constrain the impacts of climate change within limits that society will reasonably be able to tolerate, the global average temperatures must be stabilized within two degrees Celsius.
This will be practically impossible to achieve without reducing emissions from the forest sector,
in addition to other mitigation actions.
REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries - is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
It is predicted that financial flows for greenhouse gas emission reductions from REDD could reach up to US$30 billion a year. This significant North-South flow of funds could reward a meaningful reduction of carbon emissions and could also support new, pro-poor development, help conserve biodiversity and secure vital ecosystem services.
Further, maintaining forest ecosystems can contribute to increased resilience to climate change.
To achieve these multiple benefits, REDD will require the full engagement
and respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent communities.
To “seal the deal” on climate change, REDD activities in developing countries must complement, not be a substitute for, deep cuts in developed countries’ emissions.
The decision to include REDD in a post- Kyoto regime must not jeopardize the commitment of Annex I countries to reduce their own emissions.
Both will be critical to successfully address climate change. The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.
UN REDD at a Glance
Launched in September 2008
A collaborative initiative between three UN agencies: FAO, UNDP, UNEP
Two objectives:
Assisting developing countries to “get ready” for participation in a future REDD mechanism
Supporting the development of guidance and standardized approaches based on sound science
Nine UN-REDD Programme pilot countries:
Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia
Asia and the Pacific: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Viet Nam
Latin America and the Caribbean: Bolivia, Panama and Paraguay
An initial commitment by the Government of Norway of US $ 52 million
$ 18 million already approved by the UN-REDD Programme Policy Board towards REDD-readiness in five countries
OBJECTIVES
An effective REDD framework has the potential to transform the forest sector in developing countries and enable climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, economic growth and the protection of biodiversity and critical ecosystems services.
Towards this goal, the objectives of the UN-REDD Programme are:
To assist developing countries to "get ready" to participate in a future REDD mechanism, and
To assist developing countries to "get ready" to participate in a future REDD mechanism, and
To support the development of guidance and standardized approaches based on sound science.
Support to Countries
The UN-REDD Programme empowers countries to manage their REDD processes by assisting them to identify ways to address their specific drivers of deforestation; develop methods and tools for measuring and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions; facilitate the participation of national stakeholders; and access financial and technical assistance.
The UN-REDD Programme is assisting nine developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD strategies and mechanisms.
The first set of UN-REDD Programme pilot countries are in Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia; in Asia and the Pacific: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Viet Nam; in Latin America and the Caribbean: Bolivia, Panama and Paraguay.
Designed collaboratively by national stakeholders and country-led, national UN-REDD Programmes are informed by the technical expertise of FAO, UNDP and UNEP.
Priority is given to developing sustainable national multisectoral approaches with broad stakeholder engagement that promote equitable outcomes and to ensuring that countries use reliable methodologies to assess emission reductions.
In some countries, key elements of delivering emission reductions – such as REDD payment structuring and distribution options - will also be tested.