RECOFTC’s engagement with this year’s historic United Nations climate negotiations in Paris – the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP), or COP21, is centered on the promotion of equitable mitigation and adaptation strategies, as they relate to the rights and livelihoods of forest-dependent communities in the Asia-Pacific region. These communities, which have contributed little to global carbon emissions, stand to bear the brunt of climate change impacts, and will likely be at the center of future climate change policies. Therefore, RECOFTC’s activities leading up to the COP are amplifying the voices of local people across the region and are articulating their experiences to ensure a more equitable post-2020 climate regime.
RECOFTC's activities at COP21, Paris
- Global landscapes forum, Youth Session: Dragon’s Den, Sunday, December 6th, 14:30 – 16:00: Youth leaders pitch their solutions for sustainable landscapes to a group of esteemed panellists for live feedback. Dr. Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, will be a panellist. For the session agenda, see: http://www.landscapes.org/glf-2015/youth-in-landscapes-initiative/enter-...
Global landscapes forum, Panel 3, Tackling Complexity in Forest and Landscape Restoration – a Best Practices Sharing Session, Sunday, December 6th, 17:35-18:20: Immense benefits for climate change objectives can be derived from forest and landscape restoration. However, for putting landscape-based restoration into practice, a better understanding of the challenges, opportunities and impacts on human livelihoods involved is needed. This panel discussion aims at enhancing the understanding – among professionals and decision-makers - of the complex mix of aspects and factors to be taken into account for a successful implementation of forest and landscape restoration and management. Panelists will share best practices on landscape governance and restoration activities on the ground, as well as land-use trade-offs, benefit-sharing mechanisms (e.g. payments for environmental services or REDD+), equity, mitigation and adaptation. The session also intends to foster partnerships for knowledge management and capacity building to support improved multiple benefits from forest landscape restoration in the tropics. Dr. Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, will speak on equity priorities and challenges in the context of REDD+ in Mekong countries. The event will be held at the Palais des Congres de Paris, https://www.google.com/maps/@48.8795242,2.2773744,14.08z.
- Low Emission Land Use Development, Sunday, December 6th, 19:00–21:00: Winrock and the LEDS Global Partnership AFOLU Working Group will host an evening of networking and discussion on low emission development for land use. Speakers and attendees include representatives from the U.S. Department of State, Government of Panama, Government of Vietnam, USAID LEAD Program, RECOFTC, USAID LEAF Project, and Winrock International. Venue: Jazz Club Etoile, 81 Boulevard Gouvion Saint-Cyr, 75848, Cedex 17 (directly across the road from the Global Landscape Forum in Le Méridien Etoile). To attend, please RSVP at iprest@winrock.org. For more information: https://www.winrock.org/news/winrock-plans-active-participation-paris-cl...
Joint High Level Segment (HLS) of the COP and CMP (Statements by observers), Tuesday, December 8th, 15:00-18:00: Dr. Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, will present on why local people must be included in climate change decision-making and the importance of building capacities so that local voices can help ensure policies are put into action. For the COP21 overview schedule, see: http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/paris_nov_2015/application/pdf/overview... . See the webcast: bit.ly/1OjZ9QK
RECOFTC's activities in the lead up to COP21, Asia region
- National Dialogues on Forests, Climate, and Equity: Ahead of COP21 Prior to this year’s COP, RECOFTC brought together a range of climate change and forestry policy makers and practitioners for national level dialogues in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam. Through these workshops RECOFTC was able to raise awareness on the United Nations negotiation process, present the key equity dimensions of newly finalized international forest-related climate change mechanisms, and facilitate the development of national level strategies for addressing equity in the forest and climate change context. For more information on these events, see the press release: Climate change negotiators, decision-makers in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam to meet for pre-COP 21 national dialogues
Success of COP21 Paris Agreement depends on equity for local communities The findings of a new RECOFTC report 'Equity in forests and REDD+: An analysis of equity challenges as viewed by forestry decision-makers and practitioners in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam' finds that the viability and success of any agreement emerging from Paris requires that equity extending to local communities form an essential component of process and outcomes in tackling climate change. Read the blog.
'Southeast Asian forests are being seen as a key strategy to halt climate change' blog: National plans to reduce carbon emissions, submitted in the lead up to COP21 taking place in Paris this December, must not leave forest-dependent people worse off. Read the blog.
'Land Sector Left out of 2020 Targets' op-ed: In the race to finalize national climate change mitigation plans, the Asia-Pacific region must not overlook the land use sector, which contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Read the Bangkok Post op-ed.
RECOFTC’s COP21 related publications
- Forests and climate change after Lima; questions and answers: The outcomes of COP20, hosted in Lima, Peru, will significantly impact developments in the forest sector in the years to come, and are of clear relevance to this year’s COP. Therefore, RECOFTC compiled a succinct guide on the implications of COP20 and its significance for forest policy decision makers and practitioners.
- Improving grassroots equity in forests and climate change context: a training manual: This training manual helps to develop the capacity of grassroots practitioners and their ability to engage in participatory processes during the implementation of climate change initiatives.
- Community forestry: A national approach to Safeguard Information Systems (SIS): policy brief Despite requiring governments to provide information on their responses to the seven REDD+ safeguards agreed on at COP16 in Cancun, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has provided limited guidance on how to formalize SIS for reporting on the Cancun Safeguards. Therefore, this policy brief, developed ahead of COP20, outlines the ways in which community forestry can contribute to multiple components of SIS development, implementation and reporting.
- Equity in Forests and REDD+: Analysis of Views from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam: In order to further calls for equity in the climate change and forest context, RECOFTC will develop an analytical paper titled “Forests, REDD+, and Equity after Paris”, with the Netherlands-based organization Climate Focus. This paper, which will be published in November, 2015, will critically evaluate the progress of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, identify priority equity and implementation challenges, and provide key recommendations for national level REDD+ program design. With this output, RECOFTC will disseminate the message of equitable REDD+ development and implementation across its network of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
- Forests, climate change, and equity: National level challenges and solutions: These national level policy briefs, based on practitioners’ experiences in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, go beyond outlining key equity issues related to REDD+, and offer concrete and creative solutions and entry points to address these challenges. The briefs are available here:
- Policy brief: Forests, climate change, and equity in Cambodia - REDD+ equity challenges and solutions according to national stakeholders
- Policy brief: Forests, climate change, and equity in Lao PDR - REDD+ equity challenges and solutions according to national stakeholders
- Policy brief: Forests, climate change, and equity in Viet Nam - REDD+ equity challenges and solutions according to national stakeholders