This project aimed to provide monetary support to the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) for a year for operating support, in order to continue and scale up its advocacy role to support LDC countries to include the protection of rainforest and coastal marine ecosystems within the UNFCCC and other international forums.

The key output was for the Coalition for Rainforest Nations to continue and scale up their current work to support rainforest nations to advocate for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanisms in the negotiations. Throughout each calendar year, the Coalition for Rainforest Nations undertook the following activities:

1. Producing technical reports: the Coalition for Rainforest Nations’s roster of renowned experts produced a total of approximately 10 reports annually on the status and current research on REDD+, Coastal Marine Ecosystems and Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)

2. Organising workshops: the Coalition for Rainforest Nations staged at least 2 of these meetings a year, to serve as a forum for least developed and developing countries to share views and experiences on REDD+, Coastal Marine Ecosystems and other issues as defined by the UNFCCC

3. Preparing submissions: CfRN produced approximately 5-6 submissions of views every year on issues related to REDD+, Coastal Marine Ecosystems, and LULUCF

4. Writing policy briefings: CfRN has continued to produce briefs for many climate negotiators at different levels. These include Ministerial briefings, Head of State briefings and newsletters

5. Attending the Conference of the Parties (COP) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

In addition, CfRN has been:

• Convening and coordinating strategic meetings as well as ensuring representation of rainforest nations at the UNFCCC meetings
• Providing advice and technical assistance to coalition members before and during the UNFCCC negotiations
• Organising regular conference calls and direct meetings with negotiating groups / countries to share coalitions’ views and build consensus

Recent update:

The Coalition of Rainforest Nations has published a paper Supporting international climate negotiators: lessons learned by the Coalition for Rainforest Nations to highlight the lessons they have learned in supporting negotiators from developing countries on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) issues.

The Coalition for Rainforest Nations has observed that negotiators benefit from capacity building initiatives that cover a broad spectrum of REDD+ issues, and are delivered on a regular and timely basis. This includes convening meetings and workshops to discuss issues and prepare submissions; producing and disseminating scientific, technical and legal advice; creating opportunities for new negotiators to learns from the experiences of others; and securing leadership roles for negotiators from developing countries. Negotiators from Dominica and Liberia have attributed their enhanced participation and influence in negotiations on REDD+ issues to the multi-dimensional support provided by the Coalition for Rainforest Nations.

With negotiations underway in Warsaw, rainforest nations are advocating and defining a key role for REDD+ in the 2015 agreement recognising the importance of REDD+ implementation in developing countries not only for the millions of people that rely on good and services provided by rainforests, but also for any hope of limiting us to 2oC rise.

CDKN funding: £250,000