TROPICAL FOREST PROTECTION MAKES CLIMATE SENSE

THE PROBLEM

Deforestation and forest degradation account for between 15 and 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – making it the second biggest contributor to the build-up of greenhouse gases after the energy sector. However, reducing emissions requires large investments in conservation, sustainable management and the restoration of tropical forests. UNEP’s Green Economy Report estimates that US$40 billion dollars annually will be needed to halve the deforestation rate, and these resources need to be invested strategically.

THE SOLUTION

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), aims at creating 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. REDD+ goes beyond deforestation, and includes the roles of conservation, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The UN-REDD Programme was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of FAO, UNDP and UNEP.
Although initiated primarily for mitigation purposes, REDD+ holds the promise of multiple benefits for climate, development and conservation in the forest sector at national and global levels. The UN-REDD Programme works with countries to extract benefits from forests through support to national REDD+ programmes, capacity building and technical support. There is also a significant potential for strategies to go beyond reducing deforestation alone and contribute to the larger goals of increasing sustainable development and building the green economy. UNEP is working to identify the types of intervention that add value to the economy, increase revenue, and provide new livelihood opportunities while conserving forests and reducing emissions.

THE IMPACTS

The Programme supports national REDD+ readiness efforts in 44 partner countries, spanning Africa, Asia- Pacific and Latin America and covering 56 per cent of the world’s tropical forests. Currently, 16 of those countries have approved National Programmes with activities structured to facilitate the REDD+ readiness process in those countries. In addition, the UN-REDD Programme provides targeted support to partner countries upon request for specific activities related to readiness including stakeholder engagement; support to a national approach to safeguards; Measurement, Reporting and Verification; and pursuing investment options. The Programme has allocated over US$118 million dollars in support of REDD+ Readiness in partner countries.

SUPPORT

Donors: Denmark, Japan, Norway, Spain
Participating UN Organizations: FAO, UNDP, UNEP

WEBSITE

• www.un-redd.org

SUCCESS STORY

The Government of Indonesia (GoI), with a range of partners including UNEP and the UN-REDD programme, is exploring how REDD+ investments can leverage sustainable change in Central Kalimantan’s vast forested landscapes, so that green development with sustainable, equitable job creation can go hand in hand with climate, conservation and development objectives.
Initial scenarios have been developed that show that a green development pathway, which involves some modification in the way oil palm expansion takes place, can outperform ‘business-as-usual’ in terms of GDP growth rates for the region by as much as 6 per cent, with even greater benefits for the ‘GDP of the Poor’. While these first results will need to be subjected to rigorous peer-review and broad consultation, they provide a scenario for development and economic growth coupled with necessary emissions reductions.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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