Recent estimates have shown that there is no other sector holding the same potential to rapidly mitigate global warming as reducing emissions from forests. Internationally, this is referred to as REDD: reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. With REDD we refer mostly to tropical forests and developing countries.
As we all know, forests in many developing countries disappear rapidly. An area about the size of England is lost every year. The loss of these forests generates almost a fifth of all the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, more than the total emitted by all cars, boats, buses and planes together.
Turning this picture around is crucial and will be beneficial for several reasons. Tropical forests hold the largest, most cost-efficient short term mitigation potential. Forests are also vital for the livelihoods of millions of poor people. Forests carry out important ecosystem functions which help reduce the most drastic effects of global warming in these countries - and they are treasuries of biodiversity.
This is why the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, at the international climate negotiations at Bali in 2007, promised that Norway will contribute with up to 500 million dollars to reduce emissions from forest loss in developing countries.
Norway has since worked hard to find the best ways to carry out this promise. One main goal is the inclusion of REDD in a climate agreement to be negotiated in Copenhagen.
Norway has led the secretariat for a group of about 40 countries, both developing forest countries and developed countries, that have discussed how reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation may be financed in the short term. There is widespread agreement that sufficient financing can achieve great results. Within short time, we may reduce forest loss in the world by 25 percent. This requires strong cooperation between developed and developing countries. Developed countries must commit to providing reliable financing, and developing countries must demonstrate the will to engage in REDD efforts
If REDD is included in an international climate regime, it should be possible to correct the market failure that currently assigns more value to timber or land for cattle ranging than to standing forests. With REDD, we can create opportunities for developing countries to develop economically in a sustainable manner - without the need for cutting down forests. There is no time to lose. We cannot wait for a mechanism under the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change to be operational before we act – we would lose large areas of forests in the meantime.
Then how do we do it?
We work with governments in developing countries that want to reduce the loss of their forests. We contribute so that governments may develop country-specific plans for how to achieve this. We strongly encourage consultation with the affected local population. We also support the countries in establishing systems to measure the reduced forest loss and the reduced emissions from these forests. The idea is that if developing countries can document that they have reduced emissions from the forest sector, they will be eligible for payments in a future climate regime.
This should be a way of protecting the world’s tropical forests and limiting global warming, and at the same time giving developing countries opportunities for promoting economic development and fighting poverty. It is the developed world that must take responsibility for financing these efforts.
We assist most countries through international institutions. Norway has contributed with funding to establish the UN-REDD Program, and we support the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility hosted by the World Bank. Both these initiatives support forest developing countries’ efforts to reduce the emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Norway contributes to the Congo Basin Forest Fund. This fund supports activities that can build up national and local capacity and expertise for sustainable forest management in the forest areas of the Congo Basin – which is the second largest rainforest area in the world.
In addition to the multilateral support, Norway contributes to the Brazilian Amazon Fund. We have pledged up to 1 billion dollars to Brazil over the next few years, dependent on results in form of reduced deforestation. Norway also supports Tanzania bilaterally in her REDD efforts.
In the international negotiations on how to include REDD in a post 2012 climate regime, Norway – along with many other countries - believes that developing forest countries could best implement REDD in successive, gradually intensifying phases. In this way, countries may develop in their own pace and be compensated according to performance. This phased based approach should begin with an initial phase of national REDD strategy development and core capacity building. The initial phase is followed by the implementation of national REDD policies and measures. Finally, countries would evolve into a result-based compensation mechanism for fully measured, reported and verified emission reductions and removals from the whole forestry sector and other selected land-use sectors. This approach ensures that the financing is truly results based and allows countries to evolve in their own pace from phase to phase.
Norway is prepared to continue to contribute with large resources to reducing emissions from the forest sector in developing countries. We try to convince other developed countries that the fastest and most cost-efficient way to mitigate global warming is to financially support the reduction of forest loss in developing countries. We are pleased that several developed countries agree that REDD is important.
Finally, one of the most important issues is: support to REDD is not only about carbon; it is a contribution to biodiversity enhancement, sustainable development and livelihood improvement and poverty reduction in developing countries. Thus REDD addresses the maybe three most serious challenges in today’s world, i.e. to fight climate change and biodiversity loss and reduce poverty.
Athens, 26.11.2009