During 2019, UN-REDD supported countries along the REDD+ implementation spectrum, more broadly than ever, up to the stage of mobilizing payments for demonstrated REDD+ results. In particular, UN-REDD provided knowledge and technical assistance to the first four countries – Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Paraguay – to prepare, appraise and submit their REDD+ payments proposals to the GCF, in full alignment with the provisions on REDD+ of UNFCCC.
The GCF Board agreed to pay these pioneer countries more than $228 million for their REDD+ results in past years. To ensure the longterm viability and impact of REDD+ in those countries, the use of results-based payments, as detailed in their GCF proposals, aligns to national policy, addresses and respects UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards, and is integrated into the national finance frameworks for REDD+, which UN-REDD has helped to build over the years. Further details can be found in the section of the present report on UN-REDD knowledge management results under the subsection on REDD+ funding mechanisms. Thus, UN-REDD knowledge and advisory skills contributed tangibly to the fulfilment of article 5 of the Paris Agreement, helping to prove that REDD+ is an effective avenue for addressing the climate and deforestation crises.
During 2019, many countries undertook a wide range of actions to implement their REDD+ policies and measures, frequently asking for UN-REDD knowledge and advisory support. Such requests included support for pilot initiatives, national REDD+ financing strategies, investment programmes, jurisdictional approaches, the above-mentioned processing of results-based payment programmes and scoping deforestation-free commodity supply chains. A few illustrative examples of country implementation with UN-REDD engagement are described below.
- Chile conducted a successful analysis of its technical annex on REDD+ results and met the GCF eligibility criteria to access REDD+ results-based payments. With FAO as the accredited entity, a GCF 15 REDD+ results-based payments funding proposal was submitted and approved by the GCF Board in November 2019 for $63.6 million to support the implementation of the national strategy on climate change and vegetation resources (ENCCRV). Through the UN-REDD national programme, Chile tested four new incentive approaches to address drivers of deforestation and degradation in the Coquimbo, Metropolitan, Araucania and Magallanes regions. The results of these pilot approaches will inform the implementation of the GCF results-based payments project.
- Colombia mainstreamed REDD+ actions into key national institutions, including the national fund for financing the agriculture and livestock sectors (FINAGRO) and various national development banks, thereby aligning public finance with REDD+ goals. In a unique negotiation process with indigenous peoples, Colombia incorporated the core elements of the national REDD+ strategy into the national development plan, which was endorsed by the Parliament and which will govern the current presidential term (2019–2022). This case was presented by UN-REDD at the Global Landscapes Forum in June as an example of the influence of inclusive REDD+ policy. In addition, a model for community forest management activities is being implemented in a number of regions to enhance the value chains for timber, cacao, coffee, vanilla and honey.
- Colombia mainstreamed REDD+ actions into key national institutions, including the national fund for financing the agriculture and livestock sectors (FINAGRO) and various national development banks, thereby aligning public finance with REDD+ goals. In a unique negotiation process with indigenous peoples, Colombia incorporated the core elements of the national REDD+ strategy into the national development plan, which was endorsed by the Parliament and which will govern the current presidential term (2019–2022). This case was presented by UN-REDD at the Global Landscapes Forum in June as an example of the influence of inclusive REDD+ policy. In addition, a model for community forest management activities is being implemented in a number of regions to enhance the value chains for timber, cacao, coffee, vanilla and honey.
- The Congo drafted a strong core investment programme for REDD+, for GCF financing. It focuses on reducing pressure on forests from small-scale agriculture and fuelwood collection. The proposal, along with CAFI support, will serve the country in implementing the national REDD+ strategy and investment plan.
- Indonesia has taken significant action to achieve more sustainable peatland management at the national level and is inspiring others to act globally through multilateral and South-South collaboration linked to the Global Peatlands Initiative (in which Indonesia is a partner with the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Peru). In 2019, UN-REDD held a successful awareness-raising tour of Indonesian peatlands for the SouthEast Asian media that generated powerful stories about peatlands and climate change.
- Mexico made progress on a finance strategy and road map for the forestry sector. In addition, the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) undertook a critical survey of financial intermediaries to better understand the barriers to accessing finance in the forest sector. Thereafter, the country’s Forest Law was revised to include options for economic incentives for forest conservation (forest bonds or “bono forestal”), as well as issues and provisions related to benefit-sharing, in order to halt the granting of agricultural subsidies in deforested areas or for activities that promote deforestation.
- Myanmar, which recently adopted a national REDD+ strategy through an inclusive stakeholder process, began designing a REDD+ investment plan to enable the Government and partners to take priority actions. Ways of engaging ethnic armed organizations in rebel areas in REDD+ implementation were also scoped.
- Paraguay presented a proposal for REDD+ results-based payments to the GCF pilot programme in an example of “Delivery as one United Nations”. UNEP is the accredited entity for the $72 million proposal, while implementation will be undertaken by the three UN-REDD partner entities: FAO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNEP. UNDP will build upon the support provided for the development of Paraguay’s national strategy on forests for sustainable growth and will assist in the implementation of the strategy’s policies and measures. FAO will support the improvement of the country’s NFMS. It will also assist in the application of rigorous methodologies to assess, quantify, monitor, report and verify emission reductions at the national level. UNEP will support the implementation of incentives to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. It will also help to enhance social and environmental safeguards, and engage in communications and awareness-raising efforts. Having worked together for nearly a decade under the “Delivering as one” initiative, United Nations entities have demonstrated the power of that approach in providing Paraguay with access to significant international resources to implement its national strategy on forests for sustainable growth and achieve the mitigation goals set out in the country’s NDC.
- Peru made progress in developing the implementation framework for its national strategy on forests and climate change, including the establishment of stakeholder participation and institutional coordination mechanisms to facilitate REDD+ implementation. Progress was also achieved on the definition of a nesting approach, as part of the process to harmonize REDD+ implementation schemes at the national level, taking into consideration a dialogue that Peru has initiated with voluntary market REDD+ project developers.
- Zambia advanced efforts to secure additional funding for REDD+ implementation via the GCF and continued to work on designing the country’s approach to nesting subnational REDD+ efforts and carbon credit projects.
As mentioned earlier, UN-REDD provided support to a number of countries in closing the circle of REDD+ implementation, namely securing payments for REDD+ results that were generated and demonstrated to be in compliance with the UNFCCC REDD+ provisions. Successful results-based payment proposals were presented by Brazil and Ecuador, and awards of $96 million and $18.5 million, respectively, were made by the GCF.