UN-REDD Programme

UN-REDD Programme
BlankMap-World6,_compact.svg: Canuckguy et al. derivative work: Ajaxfiore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	UN-REDD Programme
Type	International partnership
Founded	2008
Headquarters	Geneva

UN-REDD Programme The UN-REDD Programme is a collaborative initiative established to support national efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and to promote conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. It brings together multilateral institutions to assist Brazil-scale, Indonesia-scale and country-level actions with policy advice, technical support and capacity-building for actors engaged in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change-related processes and Paris Agreement implementation. The Programme interfaces with intergovernmental bodies, bilateral funders and civil society to align forest-related finance and governance across international mechanisms.

Background and Objectives

The Programme was launched through collaboration among Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Environment Programme to operationalize Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodologies. Core objectives include supporting Nationally Determined Contributions preparation, designing payment for ecosystem services schemes, strengthening legal frameworks linked to instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity and aligning with initiatives such as the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund. It emphasizes safeguards consistent with mechanisms referenced in the Cancun Agreements and seeks to integrate with regional processes exemplified by the African Union, ASEAN, and Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance rests on a multi-agency structure coordinating the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Environment Programme with oversight from donor and partner countries including Norway, Japan, United Kingdom, and European Union delegations. Partnerships extend to multilateral banks like the World Bank, research institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, think tanks including the World Resources Institute, and civil society actors like Forest Stewardship Council-associated groups, indigenous networks tied to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and academia exemplified by University of Oxford and CIFOR. The Programme engages with commodities supply-chain initiatives linked to Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and Forest Trends to bridge policy, market and community stakeholders.

Funding and Financial Mechanisms

Funding streams combine voluntary contributions from countries such as Norway and Japan, trust funds administered by the United Nations Development Programme, and co-financing from agencies including the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. Financial mechanisms promoted include results-based payments modeled on REDD+ pilot payments, blended finance with participation from International Finance Corporation, and integration with carbon market approaches discussed in COP meetings under the Paris Agreement Article mechanisms. The Programme has supported development of emissions accounting frameworks and benefit-sharing arrangements compatible with Nagoya Protocol provisions and bilateral agreements.

Activities and Implementation Strategies

Implementation emphasizes capacity-building in forest governance, legal review, stakeholder engagement, and technical support for forest inventories and remote sensing applications. Activities include piloting community forestry models, designing safeguards information systems aligned with UNFCCC reporting, and developing national reference levels using methodologies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Technical work leverages tools and partners such as Google Earth Engine, SERVIR collaborations, and research by Center for International Forestry Research to enhance spatial monitoring, while policy support connects to national climate strategies and land-use planning frameworks.

Country Programmes and Case Studies

Country programmes have operated in diverse contexts including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Viet Nam, Panama, Ethiopia, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, and Indonesia. Case studies document experiences with tenure reform linked to indigenous peoples rights recognized in processes at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, pilot benefit-sharing in Costa Rica-style payments, and jurisdictional approaches exemplified by initiatives in Amazonas regions. Lessons drawn inform scaling strategies in multi-stakeholder platforms similar to Sustainable Development Goals partnerships and regional programs coordinated by the African Development Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

MRV support focuses on establishing national systems for measuring forest carbon using GHG inventory standards from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and reporting mechanisms under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. Technical guidance covers development of national forest monitoring systems, activity data collection, greenhouse gas accounting, and integration of satellite data from providers used by European Space Agency and NASA. The Programme aids countries in preparing technical annexes similar to biennial update reports and in aligning surveillance outputs with safeguards reporting required by international fiduciary and environmental frameworks.

Challenges and Criticisms

Critiques address issues including the complexity of aligning international funding with local tenure rights as debated in forums like the World Bank safeguards reviews, the adequacy of benefit-sharing mechanisms scrutinized by indigenous rights advocates, and challenges in achieving sustained deforestation reduction amidst commodity-driven pressures linked to actors in palm oil and soy supply chains. Operational challenges noted by analysts from institutions such as the Overseas Development Institute include coordination among multiple agencies, ensuring long-term finance beyond pilot phases, and verifying permanence and additionality in carbon accounting against standards used by voluntary markets and Article 6 discussions at UN climate conferences.

Category:Climate change programs