The presentation of Josefina Brana-Varela, of WWF International, to the IIED-hosted Moving ahead with Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) workshop on 9-10 April 2014. The presentation, made in the first session laying out the issues related to REDD+, focused on the challenges and opportunities of REDD+ schemes. More information on WWF International's work: http://wwf.panda.org/. Further details of the workshop and IIED's work on REDD+ are available via http://www.iied.org/coverage-moving-ahead-redd-prospects-challenges-workshop.

1. Moving ahead withMoving ahead with
REDD+: significanceREDD+: significance
and challenges ofand challenges of
the Warsawthe Warsaw
Framework forFramework for
REDD+REDD+
Josefina Braña Varela
Policy Director,
WWF Forest and Climate
Programme
April 9, 2014
IIED, London
panda.org/forestclimate
©AlexanderBelakurov/WWF

2. 1. Overview of the Warsaw Framework for REDD+
2. Thoughts on the 3 negotiation tracks:
• COP Work Program
• Joint SBI/SBSTA process
• SBSTA
3. Barriers for REDD+ Implementation
4. How to move ahead with REDD+?
5. Concluding thoughts
What you are going to hear in the next 30 minutes

3. AW RSAW FRAM WORK FOR RE EDD+

4. Thoughts on the COP Work Program on RBF
The adopted decision doesn’t fully resolve the COP Work Programme mandate of
contributing to scale up finance for REDD+, however:
•It explicitly establishes a link between the GCF and REDD+;
•It creates and clarifies a pathway to access results-based finance;
•Sets the ball rolling for REDD+ countries to move towards implementation in the
different phases;
•Keeps the options open for different sources of support, allows for flexibility;
•It represents an important building block for connecting REDD+ to the broader
climate architecture
•Political will, ambition, and commitment will be key in the months to come to
achieve a stronger decision that ensures finance for REDD+ in the medium and long
term.

5. • Although the language used in this decision is rather soft, it starts formalizing
basic institutional arrangements for REDD+;
• It will be key for countries to designate a person really engaged in the actual
implementation and operationalization of REDD+, instead of choosing the
negotiator to participate in the annual meetings;
• The structure and agenda of the annual meetings of the REDD+ focal points will
be crucial to attain the objective of improving coordination… we will have to wait
and see if the (already overburdened) Secretariat will have the resources to do
this successfully;
• Role of the various sources/channels of support outside the UNFCCC once the
GCF is operationalized; coordination efforts?
• Is there any role in coordinating the support for REDD+ implementation for the
REDD+ Partnership?
Thoughts on the Joint SBI/ SBSTA process on
Coordination of Support for REDD+ implementation

6. • The stall of negotiations under SBSTA in Doha had a huge impact in the
outcome of Warsaw;
• At COP19, Parties needed to adopt 5 decisions to complete the
methodological guidance for REDD, and they did it!
• Of the decisions adopted, the strongest ones are the decisions on RLs
and on MRV, while the one on drivers and safeguards are short and
limited;
• The technical demands on REDD+ countries are substantial - donors
must continue to provide on-going financial and technical support for all
phases;
• Pending Work: Non-Carbon Benefits & Non-Market based Approaches,
submissions due last March will be discussed in June 2014.
Thoughts on the SBSTA rule book for REDD+

7. The Warsaw Framework for REDD+ has been adopted (composed by 7 adopted
decisions), and by concluding (most of) the Cancun mandate, Parties have made
REDD+ a reality.
The rules are clearly defined now, so REDD+ countries can move forward with the
implementation through phases
The methodological guidance and technical decisions promote transparency and
environmental integrity
Parties have shown that with hard work and political will, consensus can be
achieved
REDD+ is now linked to other relevant discussions under the UNFCCC, recognizing
its important contribution to the climate change discussions and actions, but we still
need to include REDD+ under the ADP to guarantee that forests are part of the new
climate deal.
In sum…

8. In the
meantime…
in the real
world…
countries
have been
going
through their
readiness
processes
with
multilateral
and bilateral
support, and
are facing
challenges
moving
ahead
Barriers for the implementation of the WFREDD+
High transaction
costs of
sustainable use
within legal
framework
Lack of
coordination of
REDD+ support (in
particular MRV)
Difficulties in
transferring and
adopting new
technologies and
practices in rural
areas
Little
experience
using
participation
platforms and
lack of
resources to
promote them
Lack of technical
capacities to meet
meth.
requirements and
demands (UNFCCC
roster)
Emerging tensions
among national
and subnational
governments
Lack of
coordination
among sectors
and institutions
Weak governance
and law
enforcement
Inadequate flow
of information &
lack of
understanding of
what REDD+
means in the
ground
Limited research
and knowledge on
cross-sectoral
practices and
investment to
attack drivers of
DD

9. How to move ahead with REDD+?
All these barriers are not exclusive of REDD+, but in many cases pre-existing
circumstances that have been affecting the forest sector for many years.
Seeing REDD+ not as an end but as the means to achieve broader conservation
objectives (beyond carbon and in a rural sustainable development framework);
Understanding and communicating that REDD+ was never only about forests,
but in fact it is more about working from and with other sectors;
There is an unprecedented momentum for tropical forests that has just been
reconfirmed with the adoption of the WFREDD+, countries must capitalize in this
opportunity to produce transformational changes in the way we develop;
Just the attempt to go through the readiness phase has produced a diversity of
benefits (e.g. participation, transparency, strengthening of governance structures,
raising the profile of forests in national agendas, etc.).
It is key to work to ensure that REDD+ enabling conditions become building
blocks for ample objectives (e.g. PES created capacities that allowed countries
that developed such mechanisms to be better prepared for REDD+).

10. Concluding thoughts
There is much work to do, but we are experiencing a great window of
opportunity:
•With the adoption of the WFREDD+ there is more certainty (including
the link to the GCF) for countries to move forward with their national
processes.
•Other developments in the multilateral and bilateral world
•Market mechanisms? Non-market based mechanisms?
•Private sector involvement?
•REDD+ as part of the new climate deal

11. Thank you
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