Forest protection deal agreed at U.N. Bonn climate talks
Negotiators agreed a REDD+ resolution on Tuesday which could be included in global climate deal due to be signed in Paris in December
U.N. negotiators agreed a resolution on forest protection at climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday which could be included in a global climate deal due to be signed in Paris at the end of the year.
The negotiations in the German city run from June 1-11 and officials from nearly 200 countries are meeting to work out the foundation of the Paris deal.
Experts did not expect significant progress to be made on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) scheme with the rights of indigenous forest communities proving a controversial issue.
Crucially, developed nations have supported an agreement, meaning a REDD+ package is in place in the build up to the Paris conference and increasing the likelihood of it being included in a binding deal.
The REDD+ agreement addresses key points such as the transparency of information countries must disclose regarding the "safeguards" being implemented for indigenous rights and biodiversity in their conservation projects.
The resolution includes guidance on planning and funding measures focused on climate change adaptation and storing carbon dioxide, and also covers the issue of how to define the benefits from avoiding deforestation other than in terms of carbon emissions avoided.
The draft of the agreement was finalised by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) and approved by the REDD+ Working Group on Tuesday but won’t be officially passed until the Paris summit.
With the REDD+ scheme finalised, countries will be able to incorporate more effectively into their national climate action plans known as Intended Nationally-Determined Contributions" (INDCs).
Only eight countries have so far submitted INDCs, and none of the top greenhouse gas emitters have included REDD+ in their emissions reduction plans.
The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) takes place in the French capital later this year and a historic agreement is expected to be reached to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
