Joint Statement on the Importance of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries

History will judge our generation on whether it took the necessary steps to deal with the threat of climate change. We therefore wish to underline – during the fourteenth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Poznan in December 2008 – our shared views on the importance of advancing these negotiations, and in particular on action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries; and on the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Consistent with the advice of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we recognise the need for deep cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases so as to stabilize the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration at the level that would avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, as set out in Article 2, the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC. It is our vision that REDD will be part of the outcome to be agreed in Copenhagen in 2009 with ambitious cuts in developed countries’ emissions and appropriate actions by developing countries.

We underline our countries’ commitment to the Bali Action Plan of the UNFCCC and the paramount importance of reaching a comprehensive and effective outcome at the fifteenth Conference of Parties in Copenhagen in December 2009. We recognize that, whilst all countries need to contribute to this on the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities set forth in the UNFCCC, the availability of adequate, predictable and sustainable resources to developing countries from all sources will be an essential element.

Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate every year. IPCC’s assessment indicates that land-use change and forestry, including deforestation, is responsible for some 17% of greenhouse gas emissions. We must act with speed and determination. Our governments will therefore work together to:

·        undertake early action on REDD; and

·        ensure the inclusion of REDD as part of the outcome agreed in Copenhagen.

Our efforts will be within the framework set by the UNFCCC negotiations, and carefully designed to support these negotiations. They will be based on the following principles:

·        National REDD strategies, ownership and commitment to REDD in developing countries are preconditions for success, and should constitute the cornerstone of our efforts. These strategies should be designed and implemented in a transparent and equitable manner, with the participation of the relevant stakeholders including indigenous peoples, other civil society groups and the private sector. National strategies should provide for, inter alia, design and establishment of systems for measurement, reporting and verification, analysis of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, estimation of costs of mitigation, sustainable development needs, conservation of biodiversity, other co-benefits, and the building of essential capacities and how benefits are distributed amongst beneficiaries. Action on conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries should contribute to achieving REDD.

·        Transparent, collaborative, balanced and inclusive international arrangements for supporting REDD efforts should be developed. International support for countries wanting to embark on REDD efforts should be as collaborative and effective as possible. There should be close cooperation to simplify and rationalize interaction between host countries, donors, international agencies including the World Bank and the UN REDD programme, and other relevant stakeholders. There should also be consistent, coordinated efforts by both REDD and donor countries to work closely together, through appropriate multilateral and bilateral channels.

·        Financial flows to support REDD efforts must be adequate, predictable and sustainable, and results based, with developed countries contributing significantly. REDD readiness activities and general capacity building are already being financed substantially by developed countries. Also, the donor countries among us stand ready to assist those REDD countries that can quickly move on to demonstrating results in a measurable and verifiable manner. REDD as part of a future negotiated outcome should enable mobilization of financial resources and their distribution to developing countries that are willing and able – in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner - to take additional actions that reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation or conserve or enhance forest carbon stocks.

·         A reliable framework for measuring, reporting and verification is crucial to the integrity and credibility of REDD efforts in general and REDD in the outcome agreed in Copenhagen in particular. The establishment of national systems, open to independent verification, is a priority.

Achieving an ambitious outcome in Copenhagen, including REDD as an important pillar, is essential. We invite all committed countries to join us, in our early efforts, and in our work to secure REDD’s place in the agreement in 2009.