The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Mexico and Nepal will each receive $50-$70 million to demonstrate how Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) can work on the ground.
Participants from 11 public and private funds adopted resolutions to support these countries’ Emission Reduction Program Idea Notes (ER-PINs) at the Ninth Meeting of the Carbon Fund (CF9) of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).
The DRC aims to tackle the deforestation frontier of its capital, Kinshasa, where the forest is under pressure from demand for charcoal, timber and food from a growing population.
The DRC proposed to develop a model provincial green development program that maintains the area’s forest cover while addressing climate change, poverty reduction, natural resource conservation and biodiversity protection. It includes an objective to strengthen recognition of statutory and customary rights to land, including training on the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process and participatory mapping exercises.
The Ghanaian ‘Cocoa Forest Mosaic Landscape’ program aims to reduce degradation and deforestation while fostering a more sustainable, climate-smart cocoa sector and landscape management. Ghana will use a community-based approach to double cocoa yields in 25 per cent of the country while partnering with the private sector to green the cocoa supply chain. This proposal aims to: provide deforestation-free chocolate; reduce forest loss from agricultural expansion; and improve livelihoods for the one-third of Ghanaians who rely on the cocoa sector.
Nepal aims to reduce carbon emissions, conserve biodiversity and boost community livelihoods through a program that will build on the success of Nepal’s existing community-based forest management (CBFM). The proposed area includes two World Heritage sites, three RAMSAR sites and habitat for Asian rhinos and tigers.
Mexico’s proposal focuses on states with high rates of net deforestation while building on the country’s current system for community-level forest management. The proposal includes: benefit sharing arrangements; community decision-making on forest and natural resources management; and regional level planning.
The proposals all outline political commitment and support for the ER-PINs and discuss existing national policies. Chile, the Republic of the Congo and Peru also presented proposals at the meeting, which can be considered at the next meeting.
CF9 took place in Brussels, Belgium from 9-11 April. The meeting also assessed progress made in meeting the Fund’s objectives and considered updates to the pricing approach.
