CfRN Policy Workshop on REDD+ and Coastal Marine Ecosystems
September 2, 2011 - September 4, 2011, Pretoria, South Africa.

Twenty-three delegates from fifteen participant countries of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) met to draft a series of six submissions of views due to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 19 September 2011.  Four of the submissions were called for by the Subsidiary Body of Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA):

• Views on guidance on information systems on how REDD+ safeguards referred to in appendix I of decision 1/CP.16 are to be addressed and respected
• Views on modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels of activities referred to in paragraph 70 of decision 1/CP.16
• Views on modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying anthropogenic forest-related emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks, and forest carbon stock and forest-area changes resulting from the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 of decision 1/CP.16
• Views on the research dialogue, including ongoing activities, associated modalities and ways to enhance the dialogue on Coastal Marine Ecosystems

The submissions on REDD+ safeguards, forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels, and measuring, reporting and verifying practices were called for by SBSTA as a condition of the Cancun Agreements (1/CP.16).  The submission on coastal marine ecosystems was defined by the 34^th Session of SBSTA provision to invite submission of views under its “Views on the research dialogue, including ongoing activities, associated modalities and ways to enhance it.”

The following two submissions were not called for by the UNFCCC Secretariat but were made to support current CfRN initiatives in the AWG-LCA and the AWG-KP:

• Views on including a REDD+ mechanism in the Kyoto Protocol
• Views on financing options for the full implementation of results-based actions under REDD+

The above were also duly submitted by the 19 September 2011 deadline.

CD REDD II--Workshop on National Systems for GHG Inventory
May 10, 2011 - May 13, 2011, Quito, Ecuador.


Presentations:

Workshop Agenda_Regional_WS_Ecuador.pdf1

3rd Steering Committee Meeting for CfRN CCDP in the Dominican Republic
Tuesday, May 03, 2011, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.


Presentations:

CfRN and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sign agreement to build capacities on GHG monitoring
Friday, January 28, 2011, Rome, Italy.

Recognizing the importance of monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for an effective REDD+ mechanism, FAO and the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) signed an agreement to work together to provide capacity building on measuring, verifying and reporting systems of GHG emissions.  The agreement, signed by FAO Assistant Director-General, Alexander Muller and CfRN Executive Director, Kevin Conrad, seeks to assist developing countries in setting up their National Inventory Systems to adequately monitor and report GHG in the context of REDD+.

Training Workshop on the National System for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory
January 24, 2011 - January 28, 2011, FAO Headquarters, Rome Italy.

Please note that the Presentations posted below are drafts and subject to revision by the authors.

Launch of Climate-Compatible Development Project in the Dominican Republic
December 15, 2010 - February 1, 2010, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

With support from the German Federal Ministry of the Environment and through the Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), CfRN and the Dominican Republic launched that country's climate-compatible development plan.

UNFCCC 16th Conference of the Parties and the 6th Meeting of the Parties under the Kyoto Protocol
November 29, 2010 - December 10, 2010, Cancun, Mexico.

The conference included the 16thSession of the Conference of the Parties and the sixth session of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. Four subsidiary bodies convened: the thirteenth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA 13), the fifteenth session Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 15), and the 33rd sessions of both the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 33) and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 33).

Expectations for a legally-binding outcome on each outstanding issue were modest. However, the REDD+ text was commonly regarded as one of the most advanced. To this end, PNG on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) assumed a leadership position and delivered a statement on the floor that over 40 countries would accept either:

draft REDD+ text from Copenhagen and Tianjin with all brackets lifted and a few surgical changes, or

Chair Text, Possible Elements of the Outcome (FCCC/AWGLCA/CRP.2), Chapter III.C selecting Option 1 and including Annexes II and III, on an, as is, basis.

The CfRN position was widely commended and set the tone for REDD+ negotiations over the following two weeks.

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Audun Rosland (Norway) facilitated the drafting group on REDD+ with many Annex I and developing countries supporting the CfRN proposal to use the Chair Text as the basis of negotiations.

Negotiations touched MRV and the linkage between REDD+ and NAMAs with most Parties agreeing on the phased approach to REDD+ which was introduced by CfRN in Accra, Ghana in August 2008.

Views diverged on scale, with CfRN countries advocating sub-national implementation under a national accounting system. There was also considerable debate on MRV of safeguards and references to markets.

The Coalition was satisfied with the language which provided for national monitoring and reporting measures for the phase in which payments for results of a national REDD+ mechanism would be instituted. This REDD+ text was subsequently taken up in informal ministerial consultations by Norway and Ecuador, where the decision text was finalized. REDD+ text was adopted by Parties early on the morning of 11 December as a part of the Cancun Agreement. Financing for phase 3 of REDD+ is to be finalized in Durban, South Africa. This was due to Bolivian opposition to the use markets for environmental services.

Interim REDD+ Partnership First Technical Experts Meeting
July 14, 2010 - July 15, 2010, Brasilia, Brazil.

Approximately ninety delegates representing 47 country partners of the Interim REDD+ Partnership formally met for the first time since the Partnership Agreement was adopted at the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference in May 2010.  Representatives from the UN-REDD Program, the World Bank and Civil Society also participated.

Papua New Guinea and Japan served as Co-chairs and will hold these positions until the end of 2010. 

Delegates discussed short-term issues such as the design and construction of a REDD+ database (based on the previous work of PNG, France and Australia), the role of Co-chairs and modalities for Stakeholder Participation.  Topics of discussion also included the long-term objectives of the REDD+ Partnership such as providing scaled up funding for 2010-2012, institutions in developing countries and payments for results. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, partners had agreed to on draft consensus papers for the role of Co-chairs and Stakeholder participation.   Some partners also agreed to serve on a working group to develop a work program. Views were to be fielded by the Co-chairs and presented to the Partners for further discussion.

Future REDD+ Partnership meetings will likely take place on the margins of UNFCCC Talks with an additional event tentatively scheduled for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2010.

REDD+ Partnership Informal Operational Meeting
Friday, June 11, 2010, Bonn, Germany.

Ms. Federica Bietta (Papua New Guinea) and Ms. Yoshiko Kijima (Japan) presided as co-chairs over this meeting of the REDD+ Partnership.  The meeting represented the first opportunity for representatives of the Partnership to express views on a broad range of issues.

The co-chairs identified the following topics for discussion: 1) Expectations and goals of the Partnership; 2) Schedule of future meetings; 3) First expert meeting in Brazil; 4) Secretariat services; 5) Communication strategy; 6) New participation and 7) Next steps.

The most notable concern was how to improve the financial flow and ensure mobilization of fast-start funding and actions.  This was raised by a number of developed and developing countries.

Partners agreed that the expert meeting in Brazil would be held 14-15 July and would address more specifically issues such as a work program for 2010, role of co-chairs and secretariat services.

A proposal from UN-REDD and FCPF of the World Bank to provide Secretariat Services to the REDD+ Partnership was discussed.  Partners agreed to grant the agencies a “trial” by asking them to organize the upcoming meeting in Brazil. 

UNFCCC Bonn Climate Talks
May 31, 2010 - June 11, 2010, Bonn, Germany.

This meeting included the 32^nd Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the UNFCCC, the 10^th Session of the AWG-LCA and the 12^th Session of the AWG-KP.

Under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), Papua New Guinea resumed its efforts to schedule a high-level ministerial to be held before COP-16.  Bolivia, Venezuela among others opposed the measure.  After much negotiating and key backing from the EU and several CfRN nations, parties agreed to considering extending the high-level segment of COP-16 from 2 to 4 days to allow for significant work.

The AWG-LCA focused on the Chair’s new draft negotiating text.  Many parties noted progress on issues such as finance but conclusions were ultimately not adopted.  The Chair then circulated revised text to be considered at the August session only.  However during the closing plenary, the draft was roundly rejected as “unbalanced” by both A1 and non-A1 parties.

The AWG-KP eventually adopted conclusions but the level of ambition reflected in A1 parties emission reduction pledges was widely viewed as inadequate.

CD REDD 2—Kick-Off Meeting
Thursday, May 27, 2010, Bonn, Germany.

CfRN, the German Ministry of Environment through gtz, and Johann Heinrich von Thunen-Institut (vTI) officially launched phase 2 of its capacity development program.  The objective is to assist countries acquire capacities to prepare their national GHG inventory for emissions and removals related to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF).  This measure is necessary to effectively participate in the REDD+ mechanism.

Mr. Reinhard Wolf of gtz gave a presentation on the German International Climate Initiative which is the funding mechanism for this project. It is an innovative instrument in that it raises money through auctioning of a portion of Germany’s emission trading allowances.

CfRN’s Sandro Federici presented a technical overview of the project, including its goals, the approach, materials developed and used and a tentative schedule of activities.

Mr. Karsten Dunger of vTI provided a general overview of a national forest GHG inventory and the necessary approach involved it is preparation beginning with remote sensed and forest inventory data.

Dr. Danilo Mollicone of UN-FAO concluded the meeting and distributed a questionaire to solicit further views.

Oslo Climate and Forest Conference
Thursday, May 27, 2010, Oslo, Norway.

Heads of State and Government, Ministers and other representatives of 55 countries as well as delegates from civil society, indigenous peoples and the private sector attended the meeting to endorse and launch the REDD+ Partnership.  To date, $4 billion will be made available to support developing countries in their efforts to reduce forest loss.

The REDD+ Partnership is an “action track” to support the UNFCCC negotiation tracks.  The Partnership will allow developing and developed countries to cooperate immediately on REDD+ activities.

To fulfill its mandate as a country-led body, the Partnership named Papua New Guinea and Japan as its inaugural co-chairs.  The term runs through 2010.  Due to its extensive experience organizing REDD+ policy and technical meetings and its strong relationship with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and the UN-REDD Programme, the Partnership immediately came to rely on the guidance of PNG/CfRN to attend to immediate needs such as the organization of work.

The co-chairs agreed to confer and advise Partners on a schedule of meetings and on a program of work for 2010.

Petersberg Climate Dialogue
May 2, 2010 - May 5, 2010, Petersberg, Germany.

Following an invitation by Germany and Mexico, a group of 43 Ministers and representatives, the Chairs of the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP as well as the executive secretary of the UNFCCC met in Bonn/Petersberg in an informal setting to discuss the way forward in the UN climate change negotiations.

Ministers recognized  keeping the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees C was a challenge and stressed the key role of an effective UN Framework to guide the process toward success in Cancun and a legally-binding outcome.

Ministers highlighted that in order to implement climate actions, a timely and transparent delivery of “fast start” financing will be essential to increase trust between Parties and build confidence in the multilateral process.

The importance of markets was underlined and delegates discussed their use, including carbon market mechanisms.  Given the advanced stage of negotiations on REDD+, the issue was considered a “frontrunner” that could provide examples for solutions on other issues.

At the conclusion of the meeting, ministers agreed that is critical to provide political guidance and a clear mandate to negotiators in their home countries.  All expressed hope that the Dialogue will contribute to a further convergence of view and success in Cancun.

UNFCCC Bonn Climate Talks
April 9, 2010 - April 11, 2010, Bonn, Germany.

The ninth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC and the eleventh session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol was attended by more than 1700 participants.

This was the first round of climate change negotiations after COP-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The main objective of this session was to agree on the organization and methods of work in 2010.

The AWG-LCA discussed whether to give its new Chair, Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe, a mandate to prepare draft negotiating text and what documents, specifically the Copenhagen Accord, should be reflected in that text.  After much debate, the AWG-LCA agreed to mandate its Chair to prepare text for the June session.

During the debate on the organization of meetings, Papua New Guinea lobbied delegates hard to schedule a ministerial level meeting before COP-16 in Cancun.  The proposal was eventually agreed and a ministerial meeting was set after two more negotiating sessions in 2010.

The AWG-KP reached conclusions on A1 commitments under the Protocol and on a work programme for 2010.

Fifth Meeting of the Participants Committee of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
March 22, 2010 - March 25, 2010, La Lope National Park, Gabon.

The Participants Committee recognized the high quality of the Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs) submitted by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico and Ghana.  The Committee authorized allocations to these countries in the amount of US $3.4 million for DRC and Ghana and US $3.6 million for Mexico.  Subject to revision of the R-PPs, these countries will then enter into readiness preparation grant agreements to assist them in preparing their Readiness Packages.

REDD country participants wising to submit R-PPs for consideration at PC6 were advised to send the documents by 12 April 2010.  Revisions will still be possible after this date.

Germany announced that it would make EUR 20 million available for the Readiness Fund in 2010.  The United States revealed plans to contribute an additional US $5 million to the Carbon Fund and approximately US $5 million to the Readiness Fund. 

These new pledges were recognized as crucial steps toward closing the gaps in capitalization targets for the Readiness and Carbon Funds (targets of US $185 million and US $200 million respectively). However both are consistently too small to face the demand from developing countries which would like to engage with the process.

Informal Meeting on a post-Copenhagen Strategy for REDD+
March 18, 2010 - March 19, 2010, Mexico City, Mexico.

In a demonstration of leadership upon its assumption of the Presidency of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, Mexico hosted and coordinated this meeting to specifically explore strategies on how to move international climate negotiations forward. Lead negotiators from a few key countries were invited.  PNG lead negotiators and CfRN Deputy Director, Federica Bietta attended the meeting.

This was a discreetly assembled meeting that saw AWG-LCA Chair Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe conferring with delegates on issues such as how to incorporate elements of the Copenhagen Accord within  the UNFCCC process (AWG-LCA) negotiating system.

The majority of delegates agreed to grant Chair Mukahanana-Sangarwe the power to propose new language to move forward on contentious issues and to incorporate elements of the CA into the UNFCCC draft text; an action which was not approved in Copenhagen.

Fourth Meeting of the Policy Board of the UN-REDD Programme
March 18, 2010 - March 19, 2010, Nairobi, Kenya.

During this meeting, the UN-REDD Programme Policy Board approved US $14.7 million in funding for UN-REDD programs in Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.  An additional US $3.8 million was approved for global program activities which would fund measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) activities.

The UN-REDD Programme presented an overview of global and national programme progress since the last policy board meeting in October 2009, and received valuable feedback on its evolving strategy document. Acknowledging the calls from member countries for closer collaboration between the UN and World Bank systems, the Policy Board requested that the UN-REDD Programme and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Management Team integrate Policy Board meetings and FCPF Participant/Committee Assembly meetings and that moving forward, the UN and the World Bank systems would further coordinate delivery mechanisms to REDD+ countries.

International Ministerial Conference on the Major Forest Basins
March 11, 2010 - June 12, 2010, Paris, France.

REDD+ was the primary focus of this ministerial meeting which was hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The meeting brought together 54 representatives from major forest basins in the world as well as potential donor countries.  Initial discussions centered on the collective pledge of $3.5 billion in initial funding for REDD+ over the period 2010-2012 by Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and the US and additional funding committed by Germany, Spain and Slovenia for approximately $1 billion.

During the Conference, participants engaged in three sessions: pledges of initial funding; coordination of initial funding and action for forests; and organization of long-term international action concerning REDD+.  A second conference will take place in Oslo, Norway in May 2010.

CfRN also serves as a member of the Secretariat, with Australia and France.

The 11th Special Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum
February 24, 2010 - February 26, 2010, Bali, Indonesia.

The Forum opened with ministerial consultations on themes of emerging policy issues.

During this session CfRN staged a ministerial meeting that was attended by 15 ministers and 15 high level officials.  This ministerial focused on how to move forward on a REDD+ financing mechanism.  The meeting opened with recognition of the Copenhagen Accord as an instrument for  making real progress on creating a REDD+ financing mechanism. CfRN also introduced a new institutional framework that would be organized around a two-tier level of governance, with funding flows controlled by Parties (in contrast with agencies) and accounted by COP. The meeting  set the stage for a positive outcome for the first meeting of the ‘Paris-Oslo Process’ called by President Sarkozy for March 11.

UNFCCC Fifteenth Conference of the Parties
December 7, 2009 - December 18, 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Delegates met at COP-15 understanding that a political agreement was likely but many still sought a legally binding treaty in Copenhagen. These conflicting expectations caused tension. On the last day of the conference, around 25 heads of government desperately tried to find an alternative to a legally binding agreement that was clearly out of reach of the 2-track process. CfRN was represented by PM Michael Somare from PNG and President Bongo from Gabon. The major obstacles were the reluctance of the USA to deepen emission reduction targets and China’s unwillingness to officially commit to gross emission reductions. The agreement includes short term emission reduction targets by Annex I countries which will voluntarily set levels by January 31, 2010. Major developing countries will identify emission reduction actions at that time. The Copenhagen Accord does not include long-term targets to 2050 which China opposed. China did, however, agree to international verification of its actions, which it had vehemently rejected during the Copenhagen discussions. More importantly, the agreement creates a fund of $30 billion from 2010-2012 and up to $100 billion per year by 2020 for developing countries. Such funds were prioritized for Africa, REDD+ and adaptation. Specifically, $3.5 billion was committed for fast start actions for REDD+ between 2010-2012. Commitments are as follows: Norway - 1bn; US - 1bn; UK - 480m; France - 375m; Australia - 120m; Japan - 500m). REDD+ was well represented within the Copenhagen Accord, the REDD+ SBSTA Decision was approved and the REDD+ AWG-LCA Decision was forwarded to future sessions. Under the circumstances, REDD+ was as successful as possible.

CfRN Policy Workshop and High-Level Ministerial Meeting
November 18, 2009 - November 19, 2009, London, England.

CfRN organized this high-level ministerial meeting in London to address key issues in advance of the final stage of negotiations at the UNFCCC Fifteenth Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen. Ministers and Vice Ministers from 15 countries carefully selected for regional balance joined this meeting where CfRN Executive Director, Amb. Kevin Conrad, urged participants to discuss issues candidly under Chatham House rules. Michael Jacobs, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Special Advisor for Environment, Energy & Climate Change joined for a one hour strategy session with CfRN ministers. Mr. Jens Riese of McKinsey detailed a report which concluded that if €15-25 billion were made available for the 2010-2015 period for capacity building and results based incentives, complementing other REDD+ efforts, a 25% reduction in annual global deforestation rates may be achievable by 2015. The Ministers also considered elements of a strategic alliance between the CfRN and McKinsey focused on developing plans for Climate Compatible Development across a range of interconnected sectors – forests, rural energy, rural agriculture, rural transportation, etc. On the morning of November 19, 2009, Ministers and CfRN senior management attended a function at St. James Palace hosted by HRH, the Prince of Wales. Participants discussed the common elements of CfRN and the Prince’s Rainforest Project initiatives.

CfRN CD REDD Workshop: Preparing Capacity Building Initiatives for Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Saturday, November 07, 2009, Barcelona, Spain.

CfRN organized and hosted this workshop in cooperation with the UN-REDD Programme (FAO). It was part of the second CD REDD series and was held on the margins of the UNFCCC Barcelona Climate Talks. Seventy-two participants from thirty-five countries attended. This one-day event provided an overview of on-going and forthcoming capacity building initiatives for building forestry inventory in developing countries. Discussions were conducted on a new coordinating initiative, which sees CfRN in cooperation with the UNFCCC secretariat. The workshop was divided into three sessions: On-going experiences in capacity building for GHGs inventories; Needs and available technical resources; Coordination and Institutional Arrangements. Mr. Simon Eggleston of the IPCC Task Force on GHGs Inventories, Maria Sanz-Sanchez of the UNFCCC Secretariat, Kimberly Kunich of the US Evironmental Protection Agency, Reinhard Wolf of GTZ and CfRN and Yemi Katarere of the UN-REDD Secretariat delivered presentations.

UNFCCC Barcelona Climate Talks
November 2, 2009 - November 6, 2009, Barcelona, Spain.

The resumed ninth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol and resumed seventh session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention were held from 2-6 November in Barcelona. AWG-KP started slowly with the African group walking out of the negotiation in response to the EU’s announced abandonment of the KP. After 2 days of delay, the discussions resumed with the EU accepting further consideration of the KP. However no AWG-KP conclusions were adopted and no substantive progress was made. In closing, Chair John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) emphasized that “very little” time remained before COP 15, calling progress in Barcelona “less than desirable.” AWG-LCA documents moved forward and negotiators were able to reduce texts on the non-papers, which became the negotiating texts for COP 15. The major issue to be resolved in Copenhagen was financial. However, with political will and higher ambition by the USA, an agreement could be within reach.

Third Policy Board Meeting of the UN-REDD Programme
October 29, 2009 - October 30, 2009, Washington DC.

The UN-REDD Programme’s third Policy Board began this meeting with a request for five new countries to join the Programme: Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, Nepal and Sri Lanka. These nations are the first to officially request to participate in the UN-REDD Programme, in addition to the initial nine member countries. The countries were accepted as observers due to the limited resources available for allocations. Roughly 20 more countries have expressed interest to join. The UN-REDD Programme’s third Policy Board approved funding for Panama’s national programme. The Policy Board approved allocation of US$5.3 million for the country’s REDD+ Readiness activities. With the approval of Panama’s programme, the total approved funds for UN-REDD in its first year of operations amounts to US$37.4 million. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Vietnam have started implementing readiness initiatives.

Fourth Participants Committee Meeting of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank
October 27, 2009 - October 28, 2009, Washington DC.

FCPF Donors and 37 participating REDD+ countries in attendance discussed governance of the Participant Committee (PC) and specific country Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs). Japan requested to increase the PC membership to 28 (14-14) from 20 with the intent to include all donors as members. This changed the balance of the FCPF, disadvantaging REDD+ countries and privileging donor nations, causing discord. CfRN concluded the meeting with a request that this change and the functions and powers of the PC be reviewed and amended at the next PC meeting.

UNFCCC Bangkok Climate Change Talks
September 23, 2009 - October 9, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand.
The first part of the ninth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Countries under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) and the first part of the seventh session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) took place at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok. This marked significant progress including climate change initiatives by China and India, and Japan and Norway’s pledges to substantially increase their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to 25% and 40% respectively. The REDD+ text under the LCA moved forward slowly, but no concrete were achieved. The talks ended with the unexpected announcement of the European Union advocating the KP be replaced by a more inclusive treaty that would include all major emitters.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Event on REDD
Friday, September 04, 2009, United Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber.

CfRN co-organized this event with Norway, UK and UN agencies during the 64th United Nations General Assembly. In addition to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, various heads of state addressed the chamber. These included President N’Guesso of Republic of Congo, Prime Minister Somare of Papua New Guinea, Preof Sweden and Prime Minister Rudd of Australia. World Bank President Robert Zoellick and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner also delivered speeches. The event defined REDD+ as a crucial mechanism to give financial value to standing forests by mobilizing capital to compensate developing countries for REDD+ initiatives and to therefore help prevent dangerous climate change.

Informal Working Group on Interim Financing for REDD+ (IWG-IFR)
Friday, September 04, 2009, New York, NY.

CfRN organized and hosted the third and final meeting of the IWG-IFR at Columbia University in New York. IWG-IFR member countries reviewed the discussion document that was produced with assistance from McKinsey & Company. The report and it’s authors concluded that if €15-25 billion were made available for the 2010-2015 period for capacity building and results based incentives, complementing other REDD+ efforts, a 25% reduction in annual global deforestation rates may be achievable by 2015. Efforts on this scale could reduce annual deforestation by about 3 million hectares per year, for an accumulated total emission reduction of 7 Gt CO2e for the period (including reductions of peat-related emissions).

CfRN CD REDD Workshop: REDD+ Readiness—Forests for Climate Change Mitigation in the Context of National Development Policies
Saturday, August 15, 2009, Bonn, Germany.

CfRN and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) organized this workshop for sixty-one experts representing 32 countries. The majority of funding was provided by GTZ with additional support from UN-REDD and FCPF of the World Bank. This technical workshop marked the beginning of the second series of CD-REDD meetings that will be staged with GTZ. The scope of this workshop was to address current financial and technical gaps that inhibit advancement to REDD+ Readiness. Presentations by various Parties and institutions fell into one of the two workshop sessions: Capacity Building for Readiness—Overview of Current Initiatives and Filling the Gaps—Deficits in Geographical Coverage, Finance and Technical Support. SBSTA Chair Helene Plum chaired part of the workshop showing support for CfRN’s lead process.

UNFCCC Bonn Climate Talks
August 10, 2009 - August 14, 2009, Bonn, Germany.

The Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) held inter-session informal consultations. The AWG-LCA worked from the revised negotiating text from the sixth session in June 2009. The AWG-KP facilitated negotiations from documents drafted at its eighth session. CfRN collaborated to deliver an improved REDD+ text under the LCA discussions and actively engaged on LULUCF negotiations under the KP. That, after tabling a land-based proposal for Annex I countries as a reporting and accounting system for the land sector to improve the environmental integrity of such actions.

Informal Working Group on Interim Financing for REDD+ (IWG-IFR)
Thursday, August 06, 2009, Paris, France.
This 2nd meeting of the IWG-IFR was attended by Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, European Commission, France, Gabon, Germany Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Suriname, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. CfRN coordinated the travel logistics for REDD+ countries. The IWG-IFR was established at the request of the heads of State during the G20 summit in London in April 2009 at an event convened by the Prince of Wales, and as follow up to the Poznan statement drafted by the UK and CfRN. The objective of the group is to analyze the cost of implementing and scaling up REDD+ readiness activities in developing countries, and to investigate the matching of these funds by public and private sources. This meeting produced a draft report that was elaborated upon at the 3rd meeting. The outcome was presented at the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York in September.

CD REDD: National Forest Inventory: The Experiences of Non-Annex I Countries
April 27, 2009 - April 29, 2009, Dehradun, India (ICFRE HQ).

CfRN staged the third in a series of three technical workshops of the Capacity Development for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (CD REDD) programme. The CD REDD initiative is conducted with the support of the German Ministry of the Environment (BMU), the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations REDD Programme (UN-REDD). The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank also participated.

This workshop was graciously hosted by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), an autonomous body of the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Over one hundred delegates from REDD countries shared policy and national forest inventory initiatives. More than 20 non-Annex I countries, including India, have national forest resource assessment programmes. The experience of these developing countries were presented during the workshop and IPCC experts explained how to integrate forest inventories in national GHG monitoring and reporting systems.

Workshop Presentations >>

CD REDD: Forest Area Change Assessment: Existing Operational Systems
February 4, 2009 - February 6, 2009, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil (INPE HQ).

CfRN and the Brazilian National Space Agency (INPE) with the support of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) of the German Ministry for Environment conducted the second of three technical workshops. Delegates from 37 countries attended the meeting which discussed land cover and land use change detection using remote sensing data. The objective of the workshop was to introduce developing countries to sound scientific practices of detection and tracking of forest land cover changes due to changes in land use (deforestation) and in carbon density (forest degradation).  Brazil Report-CfRN-INPE

Workshop Presentations >>

UNFCCC Fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) and Fourth Meeting of the Parties (MOP 14)
December 1, 2008 - December 13, 2008, Poznan, Poland.

Over eleven thousand participants attended the UNFCCC meeting in Poland where a number of REDD conclusions were addressed directly by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). Discussions indicated that a REDD mechanism may provide positive incentives to reduce rates of carbon emissions or to increase rates of carbon removals. Delegates agreed on specific issues on methodological guidance such as promotion of REDD capacity building in developing countries; encouragement of indigenous people participation; active use of IPCC documents to monitor GHG balance with respect to REDD activities; and the setup of national forest monitoring systems and the independent review of such systems.

Perhaps most significant, the United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea catalyzed a joint ministerial declaration detailing the commitments of a number of key Annex I countries and developing nations willing to take early action on REDD. The declaration also stated that establishing national systems for monitoring, reporting and verifying emissions and reductions will be essential to desired outcomes on a viable REDD mechanism.  Poznan joint forestry statement >>

Capacity Development of REDD Workshop - Understanding National Inventories for the LULUCF Sector: The Experience of Annex I Countries
November 5, 2008 - November 7, 2008, Berlin, Germany.

In cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Environment of Germany and Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), CfRN co-hosted a technical workshop, Understanding National Inventories for the LULUCF Sector: The Experience of Annex-I Countries. The objective of the meeting was to introduce developing countries to techniques and practices of Annex I countries in establishing national GHG inventory systems and to provide guidance on procedural aspects of completing a national GHG inventory under the UNFCCC.

Accra Climate Change Talks
August 21, 2008 - August 27, 2008, Accra, Ghana.

More than 1600 participants, including government delegates from 160 countries and representatives from business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions attended this one-week meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UN Climate Change Talks--Accra, 2008 constituted the third major UNFCCC negotiating sessions this year to get to an agreement on strengthened long-term cooperative action on climate change.

In a working group on long-term cooperative action under the UNFCCC, discussions took place on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. "Countries have made it very clear that the issue of forests need to be part of a Copenhagen deal," said Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. "That's important because emissions from deforestation account of 20% of global greenhouse gas emisssions."

For the first time at a UNFCCC gathering, governments also discussed what is needed both in terms of financing and technology to step up action on both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Various proposals will be assembled and submitted to the COP-14 meeting in Poland.

Policy Workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation & the Role of Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests and the Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks
July 28, 2008 - July 29, 2008, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The Second Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC, held in Bangkok, Thailand, invited Parties and accredited observer organizations to provide additional information, views and proposals on paragraph 1 of the Bali Action Plan. Parties further agreed that at the 3rd Session of the AWG-LCA, a workshop would consider, for the first time, 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.

The CfRN organized the workshop to consider these issues and to draft a Submission of Views to be presented at the AWG-LCA 3rd Session at the Accra Climate Talks in August 2008.  Submission of Views >>

UNFCCC Workshop on Methodological Issues Relating to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries
June 25, 2008 - June 27, 2008, Tokyo, Japan.

Parties at this workshop recognized that the IPCC Guidelines and Good Practice Guidance currently provide methodologies that may serve as the basis for estimating and monitoring emissions reductions and carbon stock changes. However, further guidance is needed to ensure the accuracy of estimates when remote sensing is used.

Parties agreed on the following: reference scenarios should be flexible, adaptive, based on reliable and periodically reviewed historical data; there is need for more capacity building; and a conservative approach could minimize uncertainties due to overestimation of reductions.

A method for remunerating countries with little deforestation (conservation) was discussed as well as how to convince countries to endorse REDD to account for displacement of emissions (international leakage).

Bonn Climate Change Talks
June 2, 2008 - June 13, 2008, Bonn, Germany.

The UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technnological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) held its twenty-eighth session during this latest round of climate change meetings.

Five elements of negotiation--adaptation, mitigation, technology, finance and a shared vision for long-term cooperative action--were discussed. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer also identified REDD as an additional element of the talks.

CfRN was successful in incorporating within the SBSTA text clear reference to the "principle of conservativeness," a method of managing uncertainty allowing countries with poor data quality to access positive incentives.

UNFCCC Bangkok Climate Change Talks
March 31, 2008 - April 4, 2008, Bangkok, Thailand.

The first round of UNFCCC negotiations after COP-13 in Bali, Indonesia were held in Thailand. The climate change talks in Bangkok also convened sessions of both the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (first session) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (first part of the fifth session).

Climate negotiators agreed on an agenda for talks that is intended to lead to a post-Kyoto global warming pact. The schedule requires Parties to settle issues such as how countries will cut emissions and how Annex I nations will help developing countries adapt to climate change.

The agreed agenda called for talks on technology transfer in June 2008 in Bonn. A meeting in August 2008 in Ghana will address a Japanese proposal on industry-specific emission targets as well as deforestation.

High-Level Policy Workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation & the Role of Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests and the Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks
March 16, 2008 - March 18, 2008, Berlin, Germany.

CfRN and the Forest-11 Group co-hosted this workshop. InWent--Capacity Building International, Germany and the German government provided financial and logistical support. Over forty delegates attended the meeting.

The workshop opened with IPCC presentations on forest accounting and reporting issues. Delegates also participated in discussions led by representatives from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Development Program and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank.

The delegates then discussed and drafted a joint Submisson of Views which was due at the UNFCCC Secretariat by 21 March 2008. A final version of the REDD Submission of Views will be presented at the twenty-eighth session of SBSTA in June 2008.  Submission of Views >>

International Workshop on Developing Methodology for Assessment of Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks Due to Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests, and Increase in Forest Cover
March 7, 2008 - March 8, 2008, New Delhi, India.

Participants at this workshop addressed the financial incentives, capacity building initiatives and the technology necessary to establish compensation schemes for REDD and for conservation, sustainable management of forests and increases in forest cover.

CfRN Executive Director, Ambassador Kevin Conrad, presented the Papua New Guinea plan for a system to monitor and report on carbon stocks and changes in forests which would provide a national inventory of stocks and greenhouse gas emissions from forest land. This construct would allow PNG to report emissions in compliance with Kyoto Protocol reporting requirements and with the IPCC Good Practice Guidance 2003. With sufficient support, PNG will complete its National System to monitor and report emissions in 2-3 years.

At the close of the meeting, delegates emphasized the need for adequate financing and capacity building expertise to achieve desired technological outcomes such as a combined remote sensing/field inventory mechanism for verifying carbon stock and the development of a blueprint for national forest carbon estimation in developing countries.

United Nations Climate Change Conference
December 3, 2007 - December 14, 2007, Nusa Dua, Indonesia.

The UNFCCC 13th Conference of the Parties met in Bali, Indonesia to agree on a roadmap for the post-2012 period. The conference not only capped two years of work for the Coalition for Rainforest Nations but also defined issues for future initiatives. CfRN's primary objective, the institution of a REDD post-2012 mechanism, was agreed by all Parties. CfRN was also instrumental in securing agreement of the Parties to consider to credit REDD action taken by developing countries during the first Kyoto commitment period, 2008-2012.

Tropical Rainforest Countries Leaders Joint Statement
Monday, September 24, 2007, United Nations Headquarters, New York City.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare of Papua New Guinea and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hosted an invitation-only meeting of heads of state to endorse the Tropical Rainforest Countries Leaders Joint Statement by the Forest-11.

United Nations High-Level Event on Climate Change
Monday, September 24, 2007, United Nations Headquarters, New York City.

The UN Secretary-General has identified climate change as a defining issue of our era and has been facilitating international efforts to address the problem. In recognition of his leadership, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare was invited to a private dinner hosted by SG Ban Ki-moon where 20 world leaders discussed the climate challenge.

High-Level Workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries
August 15, 2007 - August 16, 2007, Jakarta, Indonesia.

CfRN and the Indonesian Government co-hosted this meeting where delegates from over 15 countries collaborated and agreed upon a Submission of Views to be presented at the Twenty-Seventh session of the SBSTA of the UNFCCC. Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Professor at Columbia University, delivered the Keynote Address. After drafting of the SOV concluded on the second day, Dr. Joseph Leitmann, Environment Coordinator of the World Bank, led a presentation on the Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. Dr. Nur Masripatin of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry concluded the workshop with an overview of Indonesia's current efforts and strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation.

UNFCCC 26th Meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies
May 7, 2007 - May 18, 2007, Bonn, Germany.

The Parties considered the report of the Secretariat on the 2nd Workshop and began drafting the recommendations called for at the 11th Conference of the Parties.  More >>  SBSTA Conclusion>>

UNFCCC Workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries
March 7, 2007 - March 9, 2007, Cairns, Australia.

At the workshop, which was hosted by the Government of Australia, governments presented the latest results of their activities to reduce emissions from deforestation, the lessons learned, and elaborated on possible ways to move this issue forward.  More >>  Chair's Report>>