Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+)
IN THE previous article, we examined climate change mitigation actions, with special focus on energy use and alternative energy options. This week, we will focus on another approach to mitigating climate change — Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+).

Forests and Climate Change

According to the FAO (Forest Resources Assessment, 2010), forests cover about 31per cent of the global land area (over four billion hectares).Tropical forests have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem, and provide a number of important ecosystem services, including watershed protection, regulation of regional climate, regulation of the water cycle, prevention of erosion and flooding, maintenance of soil quality and micro-environment, as well as carbon sequestration.

Forest resources directly support the livelihoods of 90 per cent of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty.  Local communities depend on forests as a source of fuel, food, medicines and shelter. (Little REDD Plus Book, 2009)

Forests hold a significant standing stock of global carbon, and therefore play an important role in the global climate system.  When forests are damaged or cleared, the burned or decaying wood releases the carbon stored in trees in the form of carbon dioxide, thereby increasing the levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.
Deforestation is a leading cause of climate change, and is responsible for approximately one fifth of GHGs (Fourth Assessment Report (FAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007).  Approximately 13 million hectares of forest were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year in the last decade (FAO, 2010), releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Addressing deforestation is therefore a global priority for combating climate change. Efforts towards reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD), as well as enhancement of carbon stocks, conservation, and sustainable management of forests in developing countries (REDD+) are crucial to curbing GHG emissions.

Background on REDD+

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), forests are addressed as both sinks and sources of emissions. For many years, the Kyoto Protocol provided no scope for supporting efforts by developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Only afforestation and reforestation projects in developing countries are allowed in the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Recognising the significant amounts of GHG emissions that come from deforestation and forest degradation, several rainforest countries, including Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica, proposed a mechanism for “Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action”  about six  years ago.

A fundamental milestone was achieved at the UNFCCC’s eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP 11) in Montreal in 2005, when the proposal received wide support from many countries  and the COP established a contact group and thereafter began a two year process to explore options for REDD. (The Little REDD+ Book, 2009).

The basic idea behind REDD+ is simple: Countries that are willing and able to reduce emissions from deforestation should be financially compensated for doing so. (The Little REDD+ Book, 2009).

Key developments on REDD+

Since the establishment of the REDD mechanism, several key milestones were achieved through decisions and proposals made at the UNFCCC negotiations level.

At COP 13 in 2007, a major decision to stimulate action on REDD was adopted by Parties in Bali.  The decision addressed enhanced national and international action on climate change mitigation, including, inter alia, “consideration of policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.”

A specific decision on REDD was also adopted in Bali where the COP encouraged parties in a position to do so to support capacity-building, provide technical assistance and facilitate technology transfer.  The COP encouraged parties to explore actions, including demonstration activities,   and invited parties to mobilise resources. A programme of work on methodological issues on REDD was also requested.  This programme has been initiated and is ongoing at this stage.

But perhaps the most significant development for REDD at the Bali COP was the establishment of an Ad Hoc Working Group on Long term Cooperative Actions (AWG-LCA).  This AWG-LCA was mandated to report by the end of 2009 on options and mechanisms for, inter alia, REDD implementation as a mitigation tool in the fight against climate change.

At the 2008 COP 14 in Poland, many countries called for a more central role for forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

At COP 15 in Copenhagen in 2009, two significant achievements were realized for REDD.  One is that the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) agreed and decided that the scope of REDD includes  not only  reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, but also forest conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.  The COP in Copenhagen formally adopted this SBSTA decision, thus legitimizing this expanded scope of REDD, referred to as REDD Plus.

In the SBSTA negotiations on REDD+ also, a key decision on methodologies was adopted whereby reference emissions levels would be determined by, inter alia, national circumstances of countries with high forest cover and low deforestation rates.   This decision favours Guyana in particular.

The second achievement for REDD+ at Copenhagen is contained in the adopted Copenhagen Accord. The accord recognized the importance of REDD+ and agreed on the urgent need to establish a mechanism for REDD+ to mobilize financial resources from developed countries and also decided that a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund be established to support mitigation activities, including REDD+.  Also, developed countries committed to providing new and additional fast- start financing to developing countries approaching US$30 billion for the period 2010 to 2012 to support climate change activities, including REDD+.  The accord thus provides scope for high forest cover, low deforestation (HFLD) countries, like Guyana, to be incentivised to conserve their forests.

Including the ‘Plus’ component in REDD+ is an important element, because without it there would be minimal incentives for HFLD countries to maintain a low rate of deforestation.

Including conservation in the scope of REDD activities also increases global abatement from REDD, by broadening participation and avoiding leakage of emissions to low-deforestation countries, and has been shown to lead to more cost-effective abatement from REDD. (Conservation International/Busch, 2009)

The long-term importance of REDD+
Overall, there has been global recognition of the importance of REDD+ in mitigating climate change. The Copenhagen Accord sets a goal to limit the global temperature increase to not more than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels
by 2050. It will be extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive to reach this goal without the inclusion of a REDD+ mechanism.
It is estimated that a total reduction of 17 gigatons of GHG is needed in 2020 for limiting global temperature increase to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. (Project Catalyst, 2009). According to the Informal Working Group on Interim Financing for REDD (IWG-IFR, 2009), preventing deforestation may provide up to 30 per cent of the cost-effective global potential for mitigating climate change. With appropriate financing, REDD+ efforts can conceivably achieve a 25 per cent reduction in annual global deforestation rates by 2015, for an accumulated total emissions reduction of 7 gigatons carbon dioxide equivalent.
Given the demonstrated key role that REDD+ plays in reducing global emissions, the cost effectiveness of a REDD+ solution, and the financial pledges that are currently being operationalized, there is much hope for countries like Guyana to be enabled to implement the REDD+ strategy and move along a low carbon development path while adapting to the adverse effects of climate change.

Next week, we will continue to examine REDD+.

*Information used in this feature was extracted from the following reports and sources: The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007 (IPCC FAR), Global Canopy Programme.  2009. ‘The Little REDD+ Book’.  Oxford, U.K. Conservation International, The UNFCCC, the Foundation for International Environmental Law(FIELD), The  International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2010,  Project Catalyst –finance briefing paper on ‘Scaling up climate finance0, 2009, Summary of report of the Informal Working Group on Interim Finance for REDD, 2009 and Busch et al., 2009. ‘Comparing climate and cost impacts of reference levels for reducing emissions from deforestation’.

Prepared by the Office of Climate Change, April, 2010
For additional information, please contact:
Office of Climate Change, Office of the President
Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown
Tel. 223-5205
Email: info@lcds.gov.gy , Web Site: www.lcds.gov.gy