Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation and sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+)

Start & End Date: 2016-Ongoing

Country/Countries: Brazil

Multilateral Institution(s) Involved: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Conference of the Parties encouraged developing countries to contribute to mitigation actions in the forest sector by undertaking a number of activities in accordance with its respective capabilities and national circumstances. In the context of results-based payments, Brazil, on a voluntary basis, proposed a subnational forest reference emission level (FREL) covering the activity reducing emissions from deforestation. The activity is being implemented in Brazil’s Cerrado biome, which covers an area of 2,036,448 km², comprising up to 24 per cent of the national territory and 27 per cent of the country’s total forest land. Around 65 per cent of the biome contains forest formations. The assessed FREL of Brazil for the Cerrado biome is 335,540,289 t CO2 eq/year.

REDD creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. Developing countries would receive results-based payments for results-based actions. REDD+ goes beyond simply deforestation and forest degradation and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The overall objective of this strategy is to contribute to the mitigation of climate change by eliminating illegal deforestation, promoting conservation and rehabilitation of forest ecosystems and the development of a low carbon sustainable forest economy, generating economic, social and environmental benefits.

Brazil reported the results of implementing this activity for 2018–2020, which amount to 697,486,485 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and were measured against the assessed FREL of 335,540,289 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.