What is REDD+?
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism proposed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ aims to provide incentives to countries whocan make reductions in their greenhouse gas emissionsfrom the forest sector.The overall process of REDD+ enables a country to develop management and monitoring strategies which will significantly improve a countries forest resource, and the multiple benefits which they provide. Guidance from the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) on REDD+ has been published regularly, with the most substantial guidance being the seven REDD+ related decisions called Warsaw Framework for REDD+ adopted at Paris Conference (COP19) in November 2013. Through policies and measures under REDD+, it is possible to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by the forestry and land use sector.
- Enhance the capacity of the forestry sector to act as a carbon sink, by storing and enhancing carbon in the five carbon pools (i.e. above ground biomass, below ground biomass, soil organic carbon, litter and dead wood).
- Improve production of sustainable wood products and as such contributing to wider development goals.
- Maintain and enhance ecosystem services.
Countries should promote policies and measures which tackle greenhouse gas emissions through looking at five major areas:
- Reduced Deforestation
- Reduced Forest Degradation
- Carbon Stock Enhancement
- Sustainable Management of Forests
- Conservation and Maintaining Existing Carbon Stocks