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Resources

Key Actors

• UN-REDD Programme
  United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN-REDD website contains information on all UN-REDD country activities, meetings, resources and background documents.

• REDD+ Partnership
  The REDD+ partnership was launched during the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference hosted by Norway in May 2010. The REDD+ Partnership website contains important information on ongoing initiatives, upcoming meetings and relevant background information. It also contains a voluntary REDD+ Database, which can be accessed here.

• World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)
  The FCPF is a global partnership (PDF - 55 KB) focused on REDD+. The FCPF assists tropical and subtropical forest countries develop the systems and policies for REDD+ and provides them with performance-based payments for emission reductions. FCPF website contains information on all FCPF country activities, background information and all relevant Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs).

• Forest Investment Program (FIP)
  Administered by the World Bank, the FIP is a program within the Strategic Climate Fund whose overall objective is to mobilize significantly increased funds to REDD+.

• The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
  The GEF is a financial organization with 182 member governments, working in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners. The GEF supports REDD+ through a variety of means, including the implementation of a dedicated REDD+ Multilateral Finance Mechanism (PDF - 531 KB).

• Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
  CPF is a voluntary arrangement among 14 international organizations and secretariats with substantial programs on forests. The CPF's mission is to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and strengthen long-term political commitment to this end.

• REDD-Alert
  REDD-Alert Involves 12 partner institutions from across Europe and several developing countries, and also links with the ASB partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. REDD-Alert is currently supporting activities in Vietnam, Indonesia, Cameroon and Peru.

• UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
  The UNPFII is an advisory body to the UN Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

Key Resources and Publications

General

• The REDD Desk
  The REDD Desk is a new collaborative platform for REDD and REDD Readiness, initiated by the Global Canopy Programme and the Forum on Readiness for REDD, represented by the Brazilian-based Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). The site contains a large, user-friendly database of REDD knowledge.

• IISD Reporting Services: Forests and Climate Change
  Forests-L is a mailing list for news and announcements related to forest policy issues. Postings include forest policy news, announcements of workshops/conferences, job listings, and information on new publications and online resources. Forests-L is brought to you by IISD, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests.

  IISD’s Reporting Services provides a variety of multimedia informational resources for environment and sustainable development policy-makers, including daily coverage of international negotiations and analyses. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin covers international climate change and forest meetings.

• REDD-net
  Aimed at southern civil society organizations and practitioners involved, REDD-net includes news and the latest information on REDD, as well as opportunities for stakeholders to share experiences.

• The Little REDD Book
  Published by the Global Canopy Programme, the Little REDD Book was launched at the UNFCCC climate summit in December 2008. The resource aims to bring clarity to the complex and rapidly evolving area of REDD by providing insights and information on the process in non-technical language (2009).

• Harvesting Knowledge on REDD-plus: Early lessons from the FCPF initiative and beyond (PDF - 1.5 MB)
  Published by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), this paper summarizes a number of lessons learned from early REDD activities under the FCPF, including lessons about financial incentives and governance (2010).

• Estimating the Opportunity Costs of REDD+
  This training manual, developed by FCPF, Carbon Finance Assist, ASB and CGIAR, shows how to estimate the opportunity costs of REDD+ (2010).

• REDD: An options assessment report (PDF - 1.2 MB)
  Prepared by the Meridian Institute for the Government of Norway, this report assesses several important considerations for a future REDD mechanism within the UNFCCC, and strives to clarify and inform some of the critical choices that will need to be made moving forward (2009).

• REDD: A casebook of on-the-ground experience
  Advances in technology and practical implementation have created a growing body of research and evidence that reducing carbon emissions through forest conservation can be a credible part of the fight against climate change. This report explores the primary challenges in demonstrating this credibility. Published by Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society (2010).

Governance

• Governance of Forests Initiative
  The Governance of Forests Initiative (GFI) is a collaboration between the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Instituto do Homem e Meio Ambiente da Amazonia (IMAZON), and the Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) to develop a framework of indicators for assessing and improving governance in the forest sector, as an essential precursor to debating whether and how to unleash market forces to incentivize emissions reductions. The framework aims to provide a common definition for “good governance” based on universally accepted principles of transparency, participation, accountability, coordination and capacity.

• Legal and Institutional Foundations for the National Implementation of REDD (PDF - 250 KB)
  This policy brief is an edited extract from a report that analyzes design and implementation issues related to national legal frameworks for REDD. Prepared by the Terrestrial Carbon Group, in partnership with UN-REDD (2009).

• Embracing Complexity: Meeting the challenges of international forest governance. A global assessment report
  This report provides an overview of the complex and diverse elements that currently make up global forest governance arrangements, identifies and analyzes the core components of these arrangements and proposes options for improving the effective implementation of forest governance at global, regional, national and subnational levels. Published by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) (2010).

Safeguards, Standards and Co-Benefits

• Safeguards and Multiple Benefits in a REDD+ Mechanism
  This paper explores the relationship between safeguards and multiple benefits in REDD+ activities, focusing on the possible institutional and governance structures that could facilitate attaining multiple benefits and respecting safeguards. Produced by IISD and ASB-ICRAF under the second phase of the Building REDD+ Capacity project (2011).

• REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards
  This initiative is developing standards that can be used by governments, NGOs, financing agencies and other stakeholders to design and implement REDD+ programs that respect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and generate significant social and environmental benefits. Prepared by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) andCARE International (2010).

• Manual for Social Assessment of Land-Based Carbon Projects (PDF - 2.2 MB)
  This toolbox comprises Part Two of the Manual for Social Impact Assessment (SIA) of Land-Based Carbon Projects. It is divided into three main areas: SIA frameworks; data collection and analysis methods; and support material, including a review and typology of social impacts, and further guidance on how to select appropriate indicators. Published by Forest Trends and CCBA (2010).

• Developing Social and Environmental Safeguards for REDD+: Guide for a bottom-up approach (PDF - 2 MB)
  An initiative of the Institute for Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification, this guide describes a process for developing REDD+ social and environmental safeguards that is based on the broad participation of all parties involved. Written by T. Manceira Bonfante, M. Voivodic and L. Meneses Filho (2010).

• Gender Differentiated Impacts of REDD to be Addressed in REDD Social Standards (PDF - 422 KB)
  The aim of this paper is to identify and assess the gender-differentiated impacts of REDD and key gender-related issues that must be addressed in the development of REDD social standards. Prepared for Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA) for CARE International and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) by J.D. Gurung and A. Quesada (2009).

• REDD Realities: How strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation could impact on biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples in developing countries (PDF - 3 MB)
  The country reports from nine different countries included in this research illustrate the very different on-the-ground circumstances that will apply to REDD projects as and when they are implemented in countries across the world. Written for the Global Forest Coalition (2009).

• What is Needed to Make REDD+ Work on the Ground? Lessons learned from pilot forest carbon initiatives (PDF - 1.8 KB)
  This report consists of an analysis of the experiences of 12 pilot forest carbon initiatives in nine countries (five REDD+ pilot initiatives and seven reforestation activities). Published by Conservation International Lead Authors: C.A. Harvey, O. Zerbock, S. Papageorgiou and A. Parra (2010).

Measurement, Reporting and Verification

• Strengthening Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) for REDD+
  This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for the development of a robust measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system for REDD+ activities, and provides options for moving forward in both the negotiation and implementation of MRV for REDD+. Produced by IISD and ASB-ICRAF under the second phase of the Building REDD+ Capacity project (2011).

• Cost of Implementing Methodologies and Monitoring Systems Relating to Estimates of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, the Assessment of Carbon Stocks and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Changes in Forest Cover, and the Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks
  This paper, prepared by the UNFCCC, provides an overview of the possible steps and requirements needed to develop and implement a monitoring system for estimating emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, assessing carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions from changes in forest cover and assessing the enhancement of forest carbon stocks (2009).

• Forests in the Balance Sheet: Lessons from developed country land use change and forestry greenhouse gas accounting & reporting
  This WRI working paper analyzes developed country experience to date in relation to implementation of the LULUCF provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. Prepared by F. Daviet, L. Goers-Williams, and K. Austin (2009).

• Measuring and Monitoring Terrestrial Carbon as Part of “REDD+” MRV Systems: The state of the science and implications for policy makers (PDF - 1.1 MB)
  This policy brief, prepared by the Terrestrial Carbon Group for countries and on-the-ground implementers, summarizes important aspects of key methods, including their maturity, cost and availability for carbon measurement and monitoring. Prepared by T. Havemann, C. Negra and R. Ashton (2009).

• Case Studies on Measuring and Assessing Forest Degradation: Community measurement of carbon stock change for REDD (PDF - 597 KB)
  Prepared for the Forest Resources Assessment Programme, this working paper suggests that degradation is a form of (unsustainable) forest management, and that measures to counter degradation such as Community Forest Management (CFM) lead not only to reduction in degradation but to forest enhancement as well. Prepared by M. Skutsch, et. al, Collaborative Partnership on Forests (2009).

Financing

• The Little Climate Finance Book
  A companion piece to the Global Canopy Programme’s Little REDD+ Book, this publication highlights relevant issues for financing forests and how REDD+ will play a crucial role in developing countries’ efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Prepared by C. Parker, et al. (2009).

• Climate Financing Options (UNDP, World Bank)
  Hosted by the UNDP and World Bank, this web platform aims to provide comprehensive guidance on financial options available for climate action in developing countries. The site contains information sources and access to funding, case studies and a knowledge centre.

• Climate Financing Policy Briefs from FIP
  This online resource includes policy briefs on such topics as: design challenges for the Green Climate Fund, frameworks for the Adaption Fund and addressing climate finance additionally (2011).

• Investing in Forest Carbon: Lessons from the first 20 years (PDF - 2.3 MB)
  This report reviews past and current forest carbon projects to lay out lessons and important information for the way forward. The Katoomba Group, Ecosystem Marketplace and Forest Trends, with input and support from Bio-Logical Capital (2011).

• REDD+ in the Post-Copenhagen World: Recommendations for interim public finance (PDF - 1.4 MB)
  Drawing on lessons from Brazil and Indonesia, the Governors’ Climate and Forest (GCF) Task Force, and the agriculture commodity roundtable processes, this document highlights several areas where interim funding could move nations and states down the path to compliance-grade REDD+, providing the basis for lasting improvements in the lives of forest-dependent people and favouring low-emission systems for producing food, fibre, fuel and feed. Produced by D. Nepstad, et al. for the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Woods Hole Research Center and Environmental Defense Fund (2010).

For more information and resources at the regional level, visit our REDD in Africa and REDD in Asia pages.

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