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REDD Workshop in Brussels
Climate Focus and CATIE host successful REDD Workshop in Brussels
On October 24 and 25, 2007 Climate Focus, CATIE, and Avoided Deforestation Partners convened a public dialogue on mechanisms to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries. The dialogue was supported by the Governments of Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama, and Ecuador as well as the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and GTZ. The event attracted over 70 attendees from Governments, the private for profit and non for profit sectors. Government officials represented Governments from Europe, Latin America, Asia and North America. The objective of the event was to initiate a dialogue between governments and the private sector on REDD policy given the acknowledged need for private sector financing to effectively address the problem of tropical deforestation. The use of market mechanisms and private sector finance feature on most countries' submissions to the UNFCCC.
On the 24th, the main message was that the private sector would consider investing in REDD project activities if the rules are sound. Private sector expressed however reluctance to make investments directly into developing country governments or into projects where project performance is linked to government performance to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation nationally. Country negotiators acknowledged this point. Participants discussed ways of combining project based crediting within a national accounting system that shields projects from this sovereign performance risk. The day finalized with a side event where “The Forests Now Declaration” was signed by the organizers and participants to the event
(visit website).
On the 25th, Avoided Deforestation Partners hosted a roundtable discussion on what could be expected from COP/MOP-3 to be held in Bali in December 2007. A political statement that sent a signal to the world was seen to be the most likely outcome, with more detailed implementation and design decisions left for COP 15 in 2009. A vote was taken on the key words that the group would like to see in this type of political statement. A prompt start provision that encourages pilot activities to a future REDD mechanism was the most popular key issue, followed by some sort of reference to use of markets, and public sector funds for capacity building. A number of attendees wanted to include national level monitoring and accounting, and most attendees also agreed that allowing recognition of projects and sub-national activities was also very important. Most of the group also considered a fungible market for REDD and other emission reduction credits as key to stimulate sufficient demand for REDD credits, so long as this expanded market is met by deeper cuts from Annex I parties.
The event was sponsored by Avoided Deforestation Partners, Energeia, 3C Group, Equator Environmental, and the Center for International Policy. Following these links you can download the agenda and the presentations, a list of participants, and the summary and conclusions to the event.