
Is it just countries that can use it?Īs a matter of fact, no. It sounds like REDD+ could be pretty useful, then. “The Paris Agreement also recognizes that some countries will want to transfer and trade in order to meet those NDCs (but they’re still figuring out some additional rules).”

“As countries work to meet the NDCs they agreed upon under the Paris Agreement, they can use REDD+ to do that - it delivers emissions reductions while protecting their forests,” says Maggie Comstock, senior director of climate policy at Conservation International. Under the Paris Agreement, starting in 2020, all countries have agreed to reduce their emissions according to the national targets they’ve set for themselves. Nationally determined contributions, or NDCs. This can take the form of direct payments or can be in exchange for “carbon credits,” which represent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for emissions made somewhere else.Īs countries are trying to meet their Paris Agreement targets, or nationally determined contributions, REDD+ can help countries get there. Put simply, REDD+ is the framework through which countries, the private sector, multilateral funds and others can pay countries to not cut down their forests.

REDD+ helps countries value the carbon and ecosystem services their forests provide, and create financial incentives to reduce deforestation (when forests are converted to other uses, such as agriculture) reduce degradation (when forests lose their ability to provide ecosystems services) and promote sustainable management (ensuring social, ecological and economic benefits for future generations). REDD stands for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation” the “+” signifies the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.īecause forests are good for the climate, correct?Įxactly: Forests release carbon into their atmosphere when they are cut down, and protecting forests represents at least 30 percent of the action needed to keep global average temperature rise at or below 2 degrees Celsius.

REDD+ is a United Nations-backed framework that aims to curb climate change by stopping the destruction of forests. In this installment, we break down “REDD+,” an initiative that aims to curb climate change by protecting forests.
REDD STATBOOK SERIES
Conservation International’s blog looks to make sense of it in an occasional explainer series we’re calling “What on Earth?” Editor’s note: From “climate adaptation” to “blue carbon,” from “landscape approach" to “ecosystem services,” environmental jargon is everywhere these days.
