Everything About REDD+ Initiative | UPSC

• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a prominent carbon-sequestration mechanism since its adoption in 2007 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 13 in Bali.

• It offers a potentially fast and cheap means to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrialised era.

RESULTS-BASED PAYMENT MECHANISM

TARGETING FIVE ACTIVITIES

• Reducing emissions from deforestation
• Reducing emissions from forest degradation
• Conservation of carbon stocks
• Sustainable management of forests
• Enhancement of carbon stocks

BENEFICIARIES

• This year, Uganda became eligible for REDD+ payments, the first African country to do so.

AGREEMENT SAFEGUARDING REDD+ INITIATIVES

CANCUN AGREEMENTS

• This includes the requirement for respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples.
• Members of local communities and the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders.

WARSAW FRAMEWORK

• This requires a recipient country to develop a system for providing information on how safeguards are addressed and respected.
• This can be based on contractual requirements of multilateral funds for project-based REDD+ activities.

GREEN CLIMATE FUND

• It has also adopted an ‘Indigenous Peoples Policy’ which is applicable to GCF-financed activities in REDD+ actions.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH REDD+

• Violation of rights of potentially affected communities and increased socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities
• Adoption of a top-down approach that can disrupt traditional forest management.
• Shortcomings in enforcement and implementation  can prevent benefits from reaching indigenous peoples
• Major roadblocks for homogenous application of safeguards are social, economic and political factors in each country
• Case studies focused on participation in REDD+ project activities are testament to the limited stakeholder consultation in affected communities.

RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH

• In the absence of tangible co-benefits , Countries should at the very least adopt a ‘do no harm’ approach.

• Actively engaging indigenous peoples in the decision-making process.
• Focusing on capacity building efforts at the grassroots level.

BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

• This involves restructuring of the forest management system by adopting a decentralised approach in developing countries
• Which entails a greater share of rights, responsibilities and decision-making power with the local communities.

In the Indian context, for instance, decentralisation of forest rights and community-based forest governance was identified as critical to the success of REDD+ initiatives .

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION

The process for meaningful engagement, improving outreach and providing opportunities for inclusive decision-making to be truly beneficial to local communities and indigenous people.

• Methods for measuring forest carbon and establishing the creation of truly ‘additional’ carbon sinks are not standardized yet.

• Community-centered recommendations may also offer a strong guide through the additionality problem.