Box 3: REDD – Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
Forests provide a wide range of environmental services, in- cluding biodiversity conservation, water supply manage- ment, carbon sequestration, flood control and protection against soil and water conservation. It is estimated that 1.6 billion people worldwide depend to some extent on forests for their livelihood (World Bank 2006).
In December 2010, the United Nations Framework Conven- tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) made a historic decision to include forests through an agreement on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), including conservation, sustainable management of forests and en- hancement of carbon stocks (REDD+). This agreement stems from the recognition of the climate change mitigating poten- tial of forests, which through deforestation account for 15- 17% of greenhouse gas emissions (van der Werf et al. 2009). Avoided deforestation through conservation and sustainable forest management has thus attracted major investments in a sector that has been relatively under-funded in the past.
These investments are related partly to keeping carbon stored in ecosystems, which is increasingly a major busi- ness opportunity as countries will receive carbon cred- its for maintaining this carbon. Voluntary carbon offset schemes are already operating and plans for official REDD+ schemes are advancing. With nearly 100 million hectares of state forest, Indonesia is a prime candidate for REDD+ as it has the world’s third largest area of tropical forest af- ter Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the fourth largest carbon stock globally.
But avoiding dangerous climate change requires a multi- faceted approach; integrating and capturing the benefits from forest ecosystems such as biodiversity and functions such as watershed protection will be crucial in order to make long term and sustained gains for forests, people and climate change. Prioritizing actions in forests where Sumatran megafauna live is one such example of how REDD+ could acknowledge and value forest biodiversity.
Indonesia’s peatlands, which represent a special case in the management of the global carbon cycle, are particu- larly well suited for REDD+. Land use decisions will need to be carefully assessed based on multiple criteria and on perceived and actual benefits relating to competing needs. To achieve a clear sense of the multiple benefits of forests at various scales, there is a need to assess and prioritize these and achieve consensus to follow through with options
Economic incentives provided in a REDD framework could thus tip the balance towards protecting vital Sumatran orangu- tan habitat while reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and protecting forest ecosystems.
Forests and the global climate Carbon dioxide is one of several so-called greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. One of the components of carbon dioxide, carbon, is stored in forests. It is found in living organ-
that support desired livelihoods and contribute to green growth. Taking into account the benefits provided by eco- system services which, for example, buffer floods and re- duce landslides, could change the way decisions are made about land use. The REDD+ text also defines a number of safeguards, which provide a basis for policy options and a monitoring framework.
The UN-REDD Programme, a partnership of FAO, UNDP and UNEP with REDD+ countries, is supporting the Government of Indonesia through a multi-year programme to develop its REDD+ capacity in order to meet the targets of 7% growth and a 26% reduction of green house gases. President Susi- lo Bambang Yudhoyono challenged the country to meet those targets, with the expectation that forests will play a major role in the achievement. The UN-REDD programme currently focuses on Central Sulawesi to support pilot ac- tivities aimed at delivering comprehensive REDD+ capacity during the current first phase of REDD+. For instance, the UN-REDD Programme is supporting Indonesia to develop capacity to identify, map and realize the multiple benefits that REDD+ provides for conservation, climate change miti- gation and development, especially in natural forest areas. It is expected that lessons from this province will be trans- ferred elsewhere, including to Kalimantan and Sumatra. Additionally it is supporting the Badan Perencanaan dan Pembangunan Nasional (BAPPENAS) national development planning agency and the REDD+ Taskforce at a national level in the development and implementation of the first national REDD+ Strategy.
Formulating the REDD+ strategy is based on a commit- ment made by the Government of Indonesia to lower the emission of greenhouse gases by 26% through its own ef- fort (unilateral) and up to 41% with the support of foreign parties (multilateral) by the year 2020. Most of the reduc- tion of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be in the forestry and land sector as these sectors are the biggest sources of emissions in Indonesia.
The success of REDD+ relies on the credibility of political commitment and the implementation strategy. Of signifi- cance are issues relating to governance, civil society en- gagement, benefits distribution, ongoing reforms of the for- est and economic sectors, and a monitoring, reporting and verification system that will not only deliver carbon credits but also the multiple benefits that REDD+ can generate – such as the conservation of Sumatran orangutan habitat.
isms and in their dead and decomposing remains (which in peat swamp forests includes the peat itself), both above and below the ground. Forests therefore represent huge stores of carbon. When forest vegetation is healthy and growing, it accumulates carbon in its woody matter (Luyssaerts et al. 2008). When the trees and other vegetation are cut down and cleared, the forest loses its capacity to sequester carbon and the stored carbon is re- leased back into the atmosphere, as the trees (or products made from them) are eventually destroyed.