How REDD+ works
Rainforest nations and their communities implement domestic policies, initiatives and programs to preserve rainforests at national level over a significant period of time.
How REDD+ works
Rainforest nations and their communities implement domestic policies, initiatives and programs to preserve rainforests at national level over a significant period of time.
Forest Carbon Reductions that Count!
The REDD+ mechanism is a well-defined process for countries to generate verified emission reductions which qualify for compensation or results-based payments. The mechanism’s methods and procedures were agreed upon by countries under UNFCCC and it is administered by the UNFCCC Secretariat. The verification of emissions reductions is conducted by a roster of independent third-party experts. The REDD+ mechanism has defined requirements for measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions, and it provides safeguards against environmental and social risks. It is unique because it is national in scope and fully complies with the Paris Agreement.
Forest preservation efforts are measured and reported on a national scale to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which then verifies and publishes the emissions reductions
Forest preservation efforts are measured and reported on a national scale to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which then verifies and publishes the emissions reductions
The REDD+ Process:
1. A country begins by fulfilling the four core elements of REDD+
- Create a National REDD+ Strategy or Action Plan which analyzes the causes of deforestation and forest degradation and develops a strategy to address them. The Plan must address critical issues such as land tenure, governance, gender equity, and the rights of indigenous people and local communities.
- Demonstrate a National Forest Monitoring System, which defines what is being monitored, how it is being conducted, and why the approach was chosen.
- Publish a Safeguards Information System, which details how a country is addressing the environmental and social risks created by a REDD+ program. The climate negotiators who created REDD+ were clear that preserving and protecting rainforests cannot cause negative social and environmental impacts.
- Generate a Forest Reference Level (FRL), which uses historical data to project expected baseline emissions against which actual emissions will be compared to estimate emissions reductions. The FRL then undergoes independent analysis and verification by independent third parties chosen from the UNFCCC Group of Experts. Their report is published on the REDD+ Info Hub.
2. Actual emissions during the crediting period are measured and reported in an Annex to the country’s Biennial Update Report. Commonly referred to as the BUR, this report is a key element in a country’s obligations, showing how the REDD+ mechanism is integrated into and compliant with the Paris Agreement.
3. The estimate of emission reductions then undergoes analysis and verification by independent third parties, chosen from the UNFCCC Roster of Experts. Their report is published on the REDD+ Info Hub.
4. The UNFCCC Secretariat reviews all documentation presented by the country to ensure that the requirements of the REDD+ mechanism have been met.
5. The emissions reductions are posted to the REDD+ Info Hub as “REDD+ Results”. With the approval of the national government, REDD.plus then creates a registry which serializes each metric tonne of reduction, so that they can be paid for by individuals and businesses.
