REDD+ in the UN Climate Regime

Prof. Dr. Christina Voigt

University of Oslo, Department of Public and International Law

How to ensure progress for the Sustainable Development Goals in a time of crisis? Seminar with Helen Clark, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Georg Sverdrups hus (University library), Blindern campus. Time and place: Mar 8, 2016 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM, Georg Sverdrups hus (University Library), Auditorium 1, Molkte Moes vei 30

Read more, programme and registration here: http://www.uio.no/english/research/interfaculty-research-areas/globalgov/news-and-events/events/2016/0308-progress-sustainable-dev-goals-helen-clark.html

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From this video/presentation:

1. What is REDD+?

2. Who should be paying?

3. …for what?

4. Which challenges can you see?

5. Pros/Cons?

REDD – People – Forests – Climate Change

UNFCCC website: http://redd.unfccc.int/

All UNFCCC COP decisions on REDD+ can be found here: http://unfccc.int/land_use_and_climate_change/lulucf/items/6917.php

… and in this booklet: http://unfccc.int/files/land_use_and_climate_change/redd/application/pdf/compilation_redd_decision_booklet_v1.2.pdf

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REDD+: Development under the UNFCCC

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• UNFCCC Art. 4.1 a, b, c (“anthropogenic emissions by

sources and removals by sinks”

• Not part of the Kyoto protocol

• Agreement reached at Bali in 2007 (COP13) on

process for REDD+ (Bali Action Plan). Deadline set for

COP15 in Copenhagen.

• Copenhagen Accord:

“agreement on the need to provide positive

incentives to such actions through the immediate

establishment of a mechanism including REDD-

plus, to enable the mobilization of financial

resources from developed countries”.

R - reducing

E - emissions

D - deforestation

D - degradation

from

and forest

+ role of conservation, sustainable

management of forests and

enhancement of forest carbon

stocks in developing countries.

REDD+ Decision in Cancun 1/CP.16 (2010)

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• Framework decision on REDD+

• Elements:

• Overall goal: slow, halt and reverse forest

cover and forest carbon loss, consistent with

Article 2 UNFCCC (Preamble 1)

• Voluntary

• Scope of REDD+ (same as in Bali Action Plan)

(para 70)

• A phased approach: from capacity building via

enabling policies and measures to result based

payments (para 73)

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▪ REDD+ strategy

implementation

a) Grants

b) Payments for

emission

reductions

measured by

proxies

▪ REDD+ strategy

implementation

– Payments for

verified emission

reductions and

removals

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

▪ National

commitment to

develop REDD+

strategy

▪ REDD+ strategy

▪ Multi-stakeholder consultation

▪ Minimum monitoring capability

▪ Safeguards

▪ Advanced monitoring

capability

▪ Design a REDD+

strategy

– Grant payments

REDD+ Decision in Cancun 1/CP.16 (2010)

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• National REDD+ strategy and robust and

transparent national forest monitoring and

reporting system (4/CP.15)

• Reduced emissions measured against a national

reference level

• Reduced emissions shall be measured, reported

and verified (MRV)

• Coordination of activities at national level (para

78)

• Safeguards for biodiversity protection and

indigenous peoples’ and local communities’

involvement (Appendix I)

Why Safeguards?

• REDD is about carbon

• Forests are more than just carbon

• Forests provide multiple ecological functions and people’s livelihoods

• Capacity of forests and resilience to store carbon depends on robustness of their ecological functions

• Avoided side-effects – co-benefits – multiple benefits – non-carbon benefits

• Safeguards are necessary to maintain the environmental and social integrity of REDD+

What are the Safeguards?

– Conditionality?

– Eligibility criteria (from phase 1 to 2 to 3?)?

– MRV?

– No clear provisions to ensure that the safeguards are adhered to in practice

– All safeguards “should be promoted and supported” when undertaking REDD+ activities(1/CP.16 para 69)

– Developing country Parties are requested, when developing and implementing their national strategies or action plans, “to address...the safeguards” (1/CP.16 para 72)

How to secure ”Safeguards”?

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Developing countries are requested to develop: ”A system for providing information on how the safeguards referred to in annex I … are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70…” (1/CP.16, para 71(d)) and should provide a summary of information on how all of the safeguards referred to in decision 1/CP.16, appendix I, paragraph 2, have been addressed and respected (12/CP.17, paras 1 and 3) (most recent summary when seeking to receive results-based payments (9/CP.19, para 4)

How to secure ”Safeguards”?

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Further Guidance (x/CP.21) for informing on safeguards: Developing countries are strongly encouraged to include the following elements, according to national circumstances: • Information on relevant national circumstances • Description of each safeguard • Description of systems and processes relevant to addressing and

respecting safeguards • Information on how each safegaurd has been addressed and

respected • Any other relevant information.

«Warsaw Framework for REDD+»

• COP 19 adopted 7 decisions on REDD+ • 5 Decisions on Methodology:

• National Forest Monitoring Systems: Decision 11/CP.19

• Safeguard Information System: Dec. 12/CP.19

• Forest reference emission levels: Dec. 13/CP.19

• MRV for REDD+: Decision 14/CP.19

• Addressing Drivers of deforestation: Dec. 15/CP.19

• Decision on «Institutional Arrangements»: Dec. 10/CP.19

• Decision on results-based finance: Dec. 9/CP.19

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25060843

Warsaw

Bonn SBSTA 42, June 2015: REDD+

REDD+

Outcome on REDD+

• Three decisions were adopted by COP 21 in Paris (negotiations finished)

• Guidance on summary of safeguards

• Methodological aspects on alternative policy approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches

• Guidance on non-carbon benefits

• REDD+ is finalized, no more open mandates

• REDD+ now embedded in the new agreement

REDD+ in the Paris agreement

Where?

What?

REDD+ in the Paris Agreement

Preamble

Noting the importance of the conservation and enhancement, as appropriate, of sinks and reservoirs of GHG…

Art. 4

NDCs (Art. 4.2)

Communication (4.8, Dec. 1/CP.20, para 14)

REDD+ in the Paris Agreement Art. 5

1. Parties should take action to conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases as referred to in Article 4, paragraph 1(d), of the Convention, including forests.

2. Parties are encouraged to take action to implement and support, including through results-based payments, the existing framework as set out in related guidance and decisions already agreed under the Convention for: policy approaches and positive incentives for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries; and alternative policy approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches for the integral and sustainable management of forests, while reaffirming the importance of incentivizing, as appropriate, NCBs associated with such approaches.

REDD+ in the Paris Agreement

• Transparency (MRV): Decision paragraf 99 – relationship to art. 13.3?

• Accounting: Art. 4.13, Decision paragraph 31 (a-d)

• REDD+ and ambition: Art. 3, Art. 4.2, Art. 4.3

• Finance: Art. 5; Decision para 55; Art. 9.1, 9.3 (incl. progression)

• Markets: Art. 5 (upholds uncertainties?; eligibility/non-eligibility of REDD+ activities to market-based approaches); Art. 6?

Challenges

• Implementation

• REDD+ to increase ambition?

• Transparency system: modalities, guidelines and procedures to build upon and supersede the MRV system established by Cancun framework? What does this mean for REDD+?

• Finance?

2. When undertaking the activities referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision, the

following safeguards should be promoted and supported:

(a) That actions complement or are consistent with the objectives of national forest

programmes and relevant international conventions and agreements;

(b) Transparent and effective national forest governance structures, taking into

account national legislation and sovereignty;

(c) Respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and members of local

communities, by taking into account relevant international obligations, national

circumstances and laws, and noting that the United Nations General Assembly has

adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

(d) The full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, in particular

indigenous peoples and local communities, in the actions referred to in paragraphs 70

and 72 of this decision;

(e) That actions are consistent with the conservation of natural forests and biological

diversity, ensuring that the actions referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision are not

used for the conversion of natural forests, but are instead used to incentivize the

protection and conservation of natural forests and their ecosystem services, and to

enhance other social and environmental benefits;

(f) Actions to address the risks of reversals;

(g) Actions to reduce displacement of emissions. back

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Dec. 1/CP.20 (Lima)

14. Agrees that the information to be provided by Parties communicating their intended nationally determined contributions, in order to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding, may include, as appropriate, inter alia, quantifiable information on the reference point (including, as appropriate, a base year), time frames and/or periods for implementation, scope and coverage, planning processes, assumptions and methodological approaches including those for estimating and accounting for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and, as appropriate, removals, and how the Party considers that its intended nationally determined contribution is fair and ambitious, in light of its national circumstances, and how it contributes towards achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2;

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