Climate Change After Cancun

The Cancun Agreement1 carries REDD+ firmly forward as a key component of the post-2012 international climate change regime by describing its main elements and operationalizing its initial phase. Before Cancun, many details of REDD+ were unclear, particularly concerning the issues of most importance to forest- dependent people. 

There is now agreement that a uniform system is required for providing information on how REDD+ safeguards are being addressed and implemented. Modalities for such a system are to be determined in time for COP17 in Durban, South Africa, in December 2011 and was time COP15 in Copenhagen. Parties also agreed to allow subnational REDD+ reference levels and monitoring for an unspecified interim period. 

DOWNLOAD

Some issues remain unresolved, including the financing of REDD+ implementation. Being politically divisive but not of immediate relevance to ongoing REDD+ readiness activities, a decision on this was deferred. The Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative  Action (AWG-LCA) was directed to investigate and recommend draft decisions on financing at COP17. Funding specifically for REDD+ readiness, however, is of immediate importance. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are concerned that the process for generating and obtaining such funding is unclear and uncoordinated and that the
funds are currently unfairly distributed.

The progress on social safeguards is particularly important. Guidance on this issue is in Annex 1 to the Agreement and will help to generate confidence in national REDD+ strategies. This is particularly important for countries such as Indonesia with highly diverse cultures, including large indigenous populations. However, although the principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) are considered by many parties and civil society observers to be an essential element of social safeguards, the Cancun Agreement text makes no specific reference to FPIC.

Posted in: Climate Change