WWF has contributed to the design and scale-up jurisdictional REDD+ programs through multi-stakeholder participation across the globe

The purpose of the project was to catalyze REDD+ governance and financing systems that provide incentives for replicating sustainable forest management and low carbon development at scale.

Why did Norway decide to support this project?

The primary problem identified by WWF was the lack of good governance models for sustainable forest management addressing the drivers of deforestation, degradation and associated carbon emissions. The project was a direct continuation of a Norad funded project for period 2010-2012 “REDD People and Nature” (RPAN). WWF reported that the project`s focus on jurisdictional approaches at the subnational level gained increasing support by global practice.

WWF’s project was considered relevant for the themes and goals of the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). The project was especially relevant to the thematic category on sustainable landscapes, by aiming to consolidate, scale up and replicate sustainable landscape models in high biodiversity areas to influence REDD+, green growth and low carbon development strategies nationally.

The project was centered on five planned outcomes:

1. Consolidating jurisdictional REDD+ - Jurisdictional REDD+ frameworks are developed in at least three priority landscapes and nested within national REDD+ /Low Carbon Development (LCD) frameworks that support payment for performance-based incentives
2. Replicating jurisdictional REDD+ - Replication started in one additional landscape nested within national REDD+ /LCD frameworks
3. National REDD+/LCD  Frameworks and jurisdictional REDD+ linked – At least one national REDD+ /LCD framework meets WWF 5 Principles and integrates subnational REDD+ programs that support performance-based incentives
4. Regional REDD+ Cooperation - At least two REDD+ agreements support regional coordination and learning to improve the implementation of REDD+ and to manage cross border risks (e.g. leakage of deforestation from one jurisdiction to another).
5. REDD+ Lessons influence REDD+ Policy and Implementation - Key strategic lessons and practices from national and subnational REDD+ activities have been gathered and disseminated to REDD+ practitioners and decision makers to influence REDD+ frameworks and global implementation. 

Results

The level of goal achievement of this project has been mixed. The outcomes above have been achieved at different levels depending on the country of implementation, and some risks materialized and limited the full goal achievement. Nevertheless, WWF has gained some significant results. These results are an effect of WWF`s work on the ground and ability to gather a variety of stakeholders in order to influence change at various institutional levels. Overall, Norad assesses that the efforts of WWF in this project has led to satisfactory results.

Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 were, upon Norad`s approval, consolidated into one: “By 2016, jurisdictional/subnational REDD+ programmes with ZNEDD  targets nested within national REDD+ and/or low carbon development plans are designed in at least three WWF priority landscapes and started in one additional landscape”.

Important results for this outcome have been achieved. In the Mai Ndombe province of DRC, WWF`s efforts contributed along with other actors to the acceptance of an Emission Reductions Program into the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s  Carbon Fund pipeline in September 2015. Mai Ndombe will be the first province in Africa to sign an agreement with the World Bank’s Carbon Fund.

This project also helped to initiate an Emissions Reductions Program Idea Note in Indonesia, to complete a Green Development Strategy in Borneo, to form a Concerted Development Plan in Madre de Dios in Peru and to promote integrated territorial planning in several departments in Colombia.

Regarding outcome 4 on regional cooperation for REDD+, WWF has provided technical support for regional actions that are being implemented in the Congo Basin and in the Amazon. In the Congo Basin, the organization was able to support ten member states of Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) during the UNFCCC Conference. In the Amazon, WWF supported indigenous organizations to implement the Amazon Indigenous Vision for REDD+ and a regional strategy for forest conservation. However, WWF has not been able to report on policies and measures regarding cross-border risks.

Regarding outcome 5, WWF engaged in lessons learning collection and dissemination. WWF reports tht this contributed to global policy, especially in regard to the negotiations of the Paris Agreement in 2015, with several other actors external to the implementation of this specific project.

Some risks materialized limiting the possibility to catalyze REDD+ governance and financing mechanisms at scale. Those risks are mainly related to lack of political willingness at the government levels to promote transparency and to integrate environmental conservation in REDD+. Norad assesses that these risks are external to the control of the project and that WWF has had a good system in place to mitigate risks.