Briefing Paper

Is REDD+ an Opportunity to Support Climate Compatible Development in Developing Countries?

“Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries(REDD+) plays a vital part in global efforts to tackle climate change. This has generated interest
among the international community and as a result, new policies have emerged in which significant international finance is being provided to developing countries in order to implement REDD+. This policy brief outlines how these processes work and looks at whether these financial flows offers new opportunities to support climate compatible development. The message is that there could be new opportunities, although these require considerable investment in institutions to manage forests and sufficient time. REDD+ could also introduce new risks, especially for forest dependent peoples, so any new policies need to be designed with this in mind to ensure that they are effective and equitable.”