Reduction in Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)

Many stakeholders are concerned with the status of global forests and the effects of deforestation and forest degradation, for several reasons. Forests store the greatest amount of terrestrial carbon on Earth and play a significant part in the global carbon cycle. When forests are disturbed through forest clearing, weather events (e.g., hurricanes, droughts), and wildfires, they release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which can exacerbate climate change. Land use change and forestry, which includes deforestation and forest degradation, accounted for approximately 13% of global carbon emissions from anthropogenic sources from 2007 to 2016. Forests also support biodiversity; provide ecosystem services, such as retaining soil and improving water quality; and sustain Indigenous cultures, among other things. International policy initiatives to address global deforestation and forest degradation were originally referred to as REDD (Reductions in Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and now are termed REDD+. REDD+ policies attempt to create financial value for carbon stored in forests by using market approaches to compensate landowners for not clearing or degrading their forests. REDD+ also promotes co-benefits of reducing deforestation, such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of forests, and conservation of existing forest carbon stocks. REDD+ is prominently included in international climate change discussions and agreements, and many analysts consider it a low-cost policy mechanism to reduce carbon emissions. REDD+ largely addresses tropical regions in developing countries, because these countries have the most forested area, experience high rates of deforestation compared with other countries, and often rely on international financial assistance to address deforestation. The concept of REDD+ was introduced in its basic form at the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2005. It has evolved and grown into a broad policy initiative to address deforestation and forest degradation. In 2015, REDD+ was incorporated into Article 5 of the Paris Agreement (an international treaty on climate change made at COP21). REDD+ initiatives typically incentivize and compensate developing countries or subnational entities for reducing their emissions from deforestation and forest degradation through results-based payments. REDD+ implementation in countries consists of several stages, including (1) achieving REDD+ readiness; (2) formalizing an agreement for financing; (3) monitoring, reporting, and verifying results; and (4) receiving results-based payments. REDD+ activities focus on conserving and sustainably managing forests to reduce carbon emissions. Over 50 countries have national REDD+ initiatives, mostly developing countries in or adjacent to the tropics. REDD+ is also being implemented at the subnational level through provincial and district governments and at the local level through private landowners. As of 2020, there were over 400 ongoing REDD+ projects globally, with Brazil and Colombia accounting for the largest amount of REDD+ project land area (over 25 million hectares). A number of bilateral and multilateral funding mechanisms finance REDD+ projects, including the Green Climate Fund. International forest conservation efforts, including REDD+, are of interest to Congress because reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is a strategy debated in Congress to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Further, Congress has authorized and appropriated funding to conserve and restore forests through international programs administered by several agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Forest Service. REDD+ topics—including forest-related emissions reductions pledges, financing opportunities and needs, and deforestation concerns—are expected to be discussed at COP26 in November 2021.