1.
Engaging logging concessions in
REDD+
Case study in Mai Ndombe, DRC
IIED event
Engaging men and women in REDD+ business
Adeline Dontenville, European Forest Institute
Paris, 4 December 2015

2.
Outline
1. The logging industry in Mai Ndombe
province
2. Using legality as a safeguard for
REDD+
3. Incentivising REDD+ participation and
improved forest governance

3.
1
The logging industry
in Mai Ndombe

4.
The DRC logging
sector
• 115 Mha of forests, twice the
size of France
• Low historical deforestation
rate, but increasing
• About 10% of forests
designated for logging
• 10 companies – 90% of export
timber
• Up to 87% of logging is illegal
(CH, 2014)
• Serious governance issues
and non-compliance

5.
International
processes
• FLEGT VPA negotiations started in
2010
• Limited progress while cases of
illegality increasingly under the
spotlight
• Illegal logging one of the main
drivers of deforestation and
degradation
• Since 2009, DRC also getting
ready for REDD+
• Industrial logging reduces carbon
stocks through selective logging
and related infrastructure + links
with artisanal logging

6.
The Mai Ndombe ER program
• 12.3M ha, including 9.8M of
forests
• 29 MtCO2 ER estimated, up to
USD 60M from FCPF Carbon
Fund
• More than 20 partners
• 25% of area are industrial
forest concessions
• First test case for integrated
approach to tackle illegal
logging and its underlying
drivers

7.
Source: CN REDD
Source: Moabi
20 logging
concessions
3 REDD+
projects 15 (++?)
artisanal permits
(2014)

8.
Challenges and opportunities
at the intersect of legality and
REDD+
• 20 concessions in Mai Ndombe, several illegalities
observed
• Reference levels based on intermediary
management plans, adjusted
• Illegal artisanal logging: main source of emissions
from timber sector but unaccounted for
 How can we ensure that industrial logging is not
jeopardizing the environmental and social integrity
of the REDD+ program?
 How can we incentivise logging companies to take
an active role in REDD+?

9.
2
Using legality as a
safeguard for
REDD+

10.
Baseline 4
Baseline 2
Baseline 1
Baseline 3
REDD+
activity
REDD+
activity
Full compliance
with legal
framework
Minimum REDD+
compliance standard
Concession 1 Concession 2 Concession 3 Concession 4

11.
The REDD+ compliance standard
• Step-wise, simple and
realistic approach
needed
• 3 principles – 23
verifiers
• Annual MRV by
program manager
• Progressive thresholds
• Demonstrate that
logging companies are
on a sustainable
business path
Legal entity
SFM
Social
safeguards

12.
Forest mangement
vs emissions reductions
Indicators Verifiers Impact on
ER
Impact on
safeguards
Legal basis
Company
engaged in
SFM
Approved
forest
inventory
√ Arrêté
36/CAB/MIN/EC
N-EF/2006;
Respect of
cutting
allowances
Coherence
between
cutting permit
and
management
doc.
√ √ Arrêté
34/CAB/MIN/EC
N-EF/2015

13.
Social clauses vs safeguards
Indicators Verifiers Impact
on ER
Impact on
safeguards
Legal basis
The
company
respects
community
rights
Social
clauses
negociated
and signed
with
communiti
es
- FPIC (criteria 6,2),
respect of
customary rights
(criteria 6,3)
Arrêté
23/CAB/MIN/EC
N-T/JEB of 17
June 2010;
Forest code;
Article 56 of the
Constitution
Labour
rights are
respected
Workers
contracts
existing
and
compliante
with labour
law
- Workers rights are
respected (criteria
7,1)
Arrêté
6/CAB/PVPM/ET
PS/2010 du 1
avril 2010, Code
du travail

14.
Annual baseline

15.
3
Incentivising REDD+
activities

16.
Barriers and opportunities to private
sector engagement in REDD+ in DRC
Lack of understanding and
unclarity re. national framework
Mistrust of government
initiatives
Limited financial attractiveness
Short-term program
Reputational aspects
Economic benefits
Support to increased
compliance and market access
Improvement of the business
climate

17.
Developping REDD+
activities
• Reduced impact logging
– USD 60/ha/year for the
logging area
• Conservation
– USD 3/ha/year
• Performance-based

18.
REDD+
activity
Compliance
support
Compliance
support
Baseline 4
Baseline 2
Baseline 1
Baseline 3
REDD+
activity
REDD+
activity
Full compliance
with legal
framework
Minimum REDD+
compliance standards
Concession 1 Concession 2 Concession 3 Concession 4
PaymentsforresultsIncentivemechanisms

19.
REDD+ compliance measures
• TA or co-financing of companies key
compliance measures
• E.g.: Training on forest inventories or
socio-economic impact assessment; co-
financing of inventories, support to
define rural development area for
communities
• Progress measurement

20.
Improving the
enabling
environment
• TA to forest administration
for processing of
management plans
• Support to control of
forest inventories
• Support to forest control
and tracability
• Rural development zoning
to reduce informal logging

21.
Conclusion
• REDD+ compliance standard, incentive
framework and proposals to improve the
enabling environment featured in draft
ERPD
• 13 concessions engaged, 6
unpronounced, 1 against
• Test case of trust building with private
sector

22.
Thank you for your
attention
adeline.dontenville@efi.int
euredd.efi.int