{"id":566548,"date":"2010-05-17T15:30:53","date_gmt":"2010-05-17T19:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"11611 at http:\/\/www.wri.org"},"modified":"2010-05-17T15:30:53","modified_gmt":"2010-05-17T19:30:53","slug":"from-copenhagen-to-cancun-forests-and-redd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/566548","title":{"rendered":"From Copenhagen To Cancun: Forests and REDD"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>An update on the role of forests and <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr> in the international climate negotiations.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Background on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr><\/h3>\n<p>Deforestation and forest degradation threaten the global climate system by removing one of the planet\u2019s essential absorbers and storehouses of carbon. Currently, forest loss is <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/publication\/world-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-2005\">thought to contribute between 12-17 percent<\/a> of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\">United Nations Convention on Climate Change<\/a> (<abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr>) negotiations offer an opportunity to better recognize and protect forests\u2019 contribution to the global climate system. It can do this in part by providing positive incentives to developing countries who take actions to <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/03\/forests-climate-change-and-challenge-redd\">reduce emissions from forest loss and degradation<\/a> (known as \u201c<abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>\u201d). <\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebar_text shaded\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<em><strong>From Copenhagen to Cancun<\/strong> covers the key issues in the ongoing <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/project\/international-climate-policy\">international climate negotiations.<\/a> The series looks at where things stand after the 2009 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr>) meeting in Copenhagen and how discussions are progressing towards COP-16 in Cancun.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-technology-transfer\">Technology Transfer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-adaptation\">Adaptation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/WRI_News_and_Views\/~3\/RVFD2O1Bk18\/copenhagen-cancun-forests-and-redd\">Forests\/<abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>How this will be accomplished, however, is much more complicated. It requires figuring out what the rules would be, how efforts would be funded, and how success would be defined and measured. In Copenhagen, negotiators and heads of state made progress on the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ issue, but ensuring this system goes forward will require further action throughout 2010.<\/p>\n<h3><abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr> + in Copenhagen<\/h3>\n<p>The outcome of December\u2019s climate meeting was a heads-of-state-negotiated <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/resource\/docs\/2009\/cop15\/eng\/l07.pdf\">\u201cCopenhagen Accord,\u201d<\/a> a non-binding political statement outlining principles to keep global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.  The Accord notes:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"quote\"><p><span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recognize the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests and agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions through the immediate establishment of a mechanism including <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This statement builds on the political support that has been stated in several different meetings since the Bali Conference of the Parties in 2007.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the development of the Accord, however, negotiators in Copenhagen worked on much more detailed <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ language (the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/resource\/docs\/2009\/awglca8\/eng\/17.pdf\">\u201cdecision text\u201d<\/a>) which they hoped the parties would adopt to further guide the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ discussions. In this text, negotiators had fleshed out much more specific elements of a potential <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ decision.<\/p>\n<p>Social and environmental safeguards were one of the main components of a <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/resource\/docs\/2009\/awglca8\/eng\/17.pdf\">decision text<\/a> discussed at length in Copenhagen \u2013 how to ensure the reductions from reduced deforestation and degradation are undertaken in a socially responsible and environmentally sound way.  For instance, for any mechanism to be effective, it is essential that the communities (particularly indigenous communities) that rely on the forests for their livelihoods are brought into the decision-making process, and that transparent and effective governance structures are in place to help achieve this.  Negotiators in Copenhagen came close to agreeing on language that would encourage this participation, a positive development.<\/p>\n<h3>Unanswered Questions on the Future of <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr><\/h3>\n<p>Still, there are some questions regarding safeguards that have not yet been fully resolved.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Accountability<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The question of whether and how countries receiving financing for <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ activities will be held accountable for the safeguards is still unknown. Making sure these safeguards are \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wri.org\/topics\/MRV\">measurable, reportable and verifiable<\/a>\u201d (\u201c<abbr title=\"measure, report, and verify\">MRV<\/abbr>\u201d &#8211; UN negotiations language that encourages accountability) is essential moving forward.<\/p>\n<div  class=\"inline-image right half\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/files\/wri\/deforestation_madagascar.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Deforestation in Madagascar. Photo credit: WRI\"  class=\"half framed\" \/><span>Deforestation in Madagascar. Photo credit: WRI<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Developing countries will be charged with carrying out most of the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ activities. To do this, many will <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/03\/forests-climate-change-and-challenge-redd\">need to build capacity<\/a>, e.g. identifying the drivers of deforestation, collecting better forest  and emissions data, and building transparent systems to track <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ financing.  This capacity-building cannot take place without support from developed countries, and they will need to assure developing countries that this support will materialize.  Tracking this support to ensure its delivery is also important.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Creating a <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr> Goal<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many countries and civil society groups argue that a goal for <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ should be written into the preamble of the decision text, such as reducing emissions from deforestation by 50% by 2020. Such a statement would push both developing and developed countries to think more seriously about the resources that will need to be made available to achieve this goal \u2013 and define in a more concrete manner what success would look like. However, negotiators did not reach an agreement on this point and have left the discussion for a later date.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Scope: What Should <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr> try to Achieve?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The type of activities recognized as part of a <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ decision is still in flux &#8211;varying depending on which elements of the text coming out of Copenhagen are considered. The <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/resource\/docs\/2009\/awglca8\/eng\/17.pdf\">decision text<\/a> includes references to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reducing emissions from deforestation;<\/li>\n<li>Reducing emissions from forest degradation;<\/li>\n<li>Conservation of forest carbon stocks;<\/li>\n<li>Sustainable management of forest;<\/li>\n<li>Enhancement of forest carbon stocks;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Accord, however, only mentions the first three.  In order to clarify which activities will receive compensation, the definition of what constitutes <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ will need to be made consistent in the UN process.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Financing <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another open question concerns financing. The Copenhagen Accord, like the <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/meetings\/cop_13\/items\/4049.php\">Bali Action Plan<\/a>, states that there should be positive financial incentives for countries that take action to reduce deforestation and degradation. However, how countries would receive this money is still up in the air \u2013 this could be through a carbon market, a dedicated fund or something else. In the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ decision text, this question is also left open.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Geographic Scale: National or Local?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A final unresolved issue is at what geographic scale <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ activities will be recognized.  Most, if not all, negotiators seem to agree that ultimately <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ activities should occur at the national level to ensure that significant drivers of deforestation are being addressed and that efforts can be tracked in complete way.<\/p>\n<p>Some argue, however, that there may be cases in which sub-national activities should also be considered, either as a gradual scaling up strategy or in cases where the national government has a significant hardship in managing forests in a given area. For example, some countries have expressed the need to exclude areas of forests \u2013 that is, they would not be held accountable for any deforestation, degradation, etc. &#8211; where the national government cannot safely enter those areas to address the question of <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+, such as where logging operations are operated criminally.  There are various ways to consider these issues and depending on the type of positive incentives developed, these questions may be answered differently.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Methodological Challenges<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In addition to these questions, there continue to be significant methodological uncertainties in accounting for deforestation and degradation that need to be resolved moving forward. Negotiators sent text to the <a href=\"http:\/\/unfccc.int\/essential_background\/convention\/convention_bodies\/items\/2629.php\">Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice<\/a> (<abbr title=\"Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice]\">SBSTA<\/abbr>) in Copenhagen, which was passed as a decision of the parties. The gives <abbr title=\"Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice]\">SBSTA<\/abbr> the mandate to do more work on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ methodologies, including identifying the drivers of deforestation; ensuring the effective engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities in monitoring and reporting; as well other methodological issues related to quantifying emissions and emission reductions for <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+. This is a good step forward. In addition, the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ decision text also mentions further work for <abbr title=\"Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice]\">SBSTA<\/abbr> that \u2013 if parties agreed to it \u2013 could be passed on for <abbr title=\"Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice]\">SBSTA<\/abbr> to consider.<\/p>\n<h3>Moving ahead: Venues and Key Decisions in 2010<\/h3>\n<p><strong><em><abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">\n<p>Most countries hope that the high-level decisions on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ will be made within the <abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr> negotiations in order to guide the various pilot initiatives throughout the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both negotiators\u2019 and political leaders\u2019  overall commitment to <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ issues in Copenhagen shows a willingness to continue the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ discussions between now and Mexico. This is important considering that other issues will compete for negotiating space.<\/p>\n<p>In general, most countries hope that the high-level decisions on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ \u2013 e.g., on questions of safeguards and <abbr title=\"measure, report, and verify\">MRV<\/abbr>&#8211; will be made within the <abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr> negotiations, preferably in Cancun, in order to guide the various pilot initiatives throughout the world.  Methodological issues also would be best resolved at this level, to ensure standardization and consistency. However, some have questioned how far the <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ discussions can go in Cancun absent progress on other contentious issues, such as finance, that determine how <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ will be implemented.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Non-UN Processes<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Countries continue to discuss <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ and are working on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr> readiness on the assumption that parties will eventually agree to a <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ decision text in the <abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr>. Many of these discussions and activities on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+, however, are happening in parallel to the UN process in programs like the World Bank\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forestcarbonpartnership.org\">Forest Carbon Partnership Facility<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.climatefundsupdate.org\/listing\/forest-investment-program\">Forest Investment Program<\/a>, as well as other bilateral activities around the world. In addition, discussions about creating an interim political partnership among countries to formalize areas of agreement on <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ started in Paris in March and will continue in Oslo at the end of May. The partnership\u2019s goals include sharing information and transparency about <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ activities and scaling up financing, in addition to reaffirming a commitment to a <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ mechanism.<\/p>\n<p>These pilot programs and interim arrangements will not set the rules for <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+, but they provide lessons learned and precedents that feed into the negotiations. Many stakeholders &#8211; generally civil society and governments \u2013 engage in these processes to ensure that good precedents are set on issues such as transparency, local community engagement, and indigenous rights, and to ensure that <abbr title=\"reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation\">REDD<\/abbr>+ progress is tracked.<\/p>\n<p>These multilateral programs will meet throughout 2010 and will continue to inform the <abbr title=\"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change\">UNFCCC<\/abbr> discussions.<\/p>\n<h4>Read More From This Series<\/h4>\n<p><div  class=\"inline-image left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-technology-transfer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.wri.org\/files\/wri\/imagecache\/feature-small\/story_thumbs\/wind_farm.JPG\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"  class=\"framed\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-technology-transfer\">From Copenhagen to Cancun: Technology Transfer<\/a><br clear=\"both\" \/><\/p>\n<p><div  class=\"inline-image left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-adaptation\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.wri.org\/files\/wri\/imagecache\/feature-small\/story_thumbs\/bangladesh.JPG\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"  class=\"framed\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/stories\/2010\/05\/copenhagen-cancun-adaptation\">From Copenhagen to Cancun: Adaptation<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:yIl2AUoC8zA\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:dnMXMwOfBR0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?d=dnMXMwOfBR0\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:F7zBnMyn0Lo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?i=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:F7zBnMyn0Lo\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:V_sGLiPBpWU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?i=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:V_sGLiPBpWU\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:qj6IDK7rITs\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?d=qj6IDK7rITs\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?a=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:gIN9vFwOqvQ\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/WRI_News_and_Views?i=RVFD2O1Bk18:N-0D3T3IkMY:gIN9vFwOqvQ\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/WRI_News_and_Views\/~4\/RVFD2O1Bk18\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An update on the role of forests and REDD in the international climate negotiations. Background on REDD Deforestation and forest degradation threaten the global climate system by removing one of the planet\u2019s essential absorbers and storehouses of carbon. Currently, forest loss is thought to contribute between 12-17 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566548\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}