A new initiative will build the capability of developing country governments globally to monitor and report on greenhouse gas emissions from forestry, so that they can ultimately speed up efforts to halt deforestation.

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) together with the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) is launching a new initiative on Reporting for Results Based REDD+ (Editor's note: where REDD+ stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and other forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries).

This three-year programme - termed 'RRR+' for short -  is funded by the Government of Norway. It aims to support up to 21 tropical forest countries in their efforts to move towards systems of payment for performance in REDD+ and achieve the carbon mitigation aspirations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Specifically, the project aims to develop capacity for measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors (AFOLU).

“Training practitioners to take greenhouse gas inventories, particularly in the forestry sector, is of crucial importance to make finance flow for REDD+” said Federica Bietta, the Managing Director of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations. “We are pleased to collaborate with CDKN on this important initiative.”

“Monitoring, reporting and verification are on top of the agenda for climate negotiators and decision makers the world over. Our capacity building project will help decision makers in the developing world develop these crucial skills” said Christina Elvers of CDKN.

Together CDKN and CfRN will deliver the following activities to support up to 21 tropical forest countries:

Capacity building for the development of institutional arrangements for greenhouse gas inventories: The project will provide in-country training and ad hoc support to domestic decision makers to establish institutional frameworks for GHG inventories.

Training and capacity building to improve the technical capacities of those undertaking greenhouse gas inventories: We will hold in-country training sessions within up to 21 countries, international training workshops and ad hoc technical support to country governments.

Training for the compilation of Biennial Update Reports (BURs): Support will be provided to experts of tropical forest countries to enhance participation in the UNFCCC, specifically with regards to the preparation of the technical assessments for BURs.

South-South knowledge sharing: We will share lessons learned and best practice through publications and international workshops.

Working with relevant ministries and technical staff in target countries, as well as other international organisations (e.g. UN FAO, USA EPA), the initiative aims to create a long term institutional foundation to allow countries to continue this work independently once the initiative has ended.

The ‘Reporting for Results-Based REDD+ Actions’ project launched in June 2016 and will run until May 2019.

What CDKN’s and CfRN’s leaders are saying about this initiative

Kevin Conrad, Executive Director, Coalition for Rainforest Nations: “According to the Fifth Assessment Report of the International Panel on Climate Change, the AFOLU [Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use] sector is responsible for just under 25% of annual anthropogenic,  global greenhouse gas emissions. It also leads to loss of biodiversity and livelihoods. Developing countries need to be incentivised financially to protect their forests. CfRN has deep international experience in identifying technical gaps and training greenhouse gas measurement practitioners in developing countries to successfully address these deficits.  RRR+ will continue to  pave the way for this while building sustainable, long term capacity.”

Sam Bickersteth, Chief Executive, CDKN: “We are delighted to be working with our long-standing partner CfRN as well as the Government of Norway in implementing this crucial capacity building programme across 21 developing countries.   For communities, investors, governments and donors reliable measurement and assessment of forests is an essential element of the commitments made at COP21 in Paris.   CDKN is pleased to bring its experience in capability building to this area to accelerate action on deforestation in line with the Paris Agreement and Global Goals.”

About the organisations

Coalition for Rainforest Nations Secretariat

The Coalition for Rainforest Nations Secretariat provides diplomatic leadership through efforts across government, academia and industry to address the complex issues surrounding environmental sustainability specific to tropical rainforests. The Coalition is an intergovernmental organisation with a Secretariat in New York City. It operates as a forum to facilitate consensus among participating countries on issues related to domestic and international frameworks for rainforest management, biodiversity conservation and climate stability. The Rainforest Coalition achieves success through Capacity Building within nations by enhancing technical capacity, spearheading research, assembling world-class advisory capacity, facilitating policy development, coordinating economic and technical regulatory frameworks and overseeing implementation. As part of ‘Reporting for Results-Based REDD+ Actions’, CfRN will seek to deliver technical and institutional capacity building to assist governments to develop national Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use GHG inventory systems. Contact: Federica Bietta, fbietta1@gmail.com.

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)

CDKN supports developing countries to plan and pursue climate-compatible development. We do this by combining research, advisory services and knowledge management in support of locally owned and managed policy processes. We work in partnership with decision-makers in the public, private and non-governmental sectors nationally, regionally and globally. As part of ‘Reporting for Results-Based REDD+ Actions’, CDKN will produce informational resources to help civil society, communities, practitioners, media and decision-makers prepare for and deliver greenhouse gas inventories. Contact: Emma Doherty, emma.doherty@uk.pwc.com

Image: Cameroon, courtesy CIFOR