From 1 to 8 December, members of the UNEP-WCMC Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme participated in several events on the margins of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP21) in Paris, France. In addition to contributing to and organizing sessions related to the Programme’s work on REDD+, forests and landscape restoration and options for mitigation in non-forest ecosystems, several members of the Programme attended the Global Landscapes Forum, 5-6 December.

UNEP-WCMC participated in side events at the COP 21 Rio Conventions Pavilion, starting on 1 December with a session on 'Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Meeting the Climate Challenge', hosted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat. Rebecca Mant led the session on forests and landscape restoration in REDD+, presenting work from the REDD+ Policy Assessment Center (REDD-PAC) project on modelling the potential impacts of Brazil’s new Forest Code on emission reductions, biodiversity, preservation of mature forests, and land-use change under different scenarios.  Rebecca Mant (presenting on behalf of Lera Miles) also highlighted opportunities to use forest restoration to narrow the “emissions gap” between action needed to achieve a 2˚C temperature goal and emissions expected as a result of countries’ pledges. In a session on, ‘Experiences on the implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change mitigation’, Cordula Epple  summarized a study on the role of managing five non-forest ecosystems – peatlands, grasslands/savannah, vegetated coastal ecosystems, tundra and agro-ecosystems – in climate change mitigation, reviewing their global coverage, relative carbon storage and options for their management.

Several members of the UNEP-WCMC team contributed to REDD+ Day at the Rio Conventions Pavilion on 7 December.  The day opened with a session on ‘Being responsible in REDD+: country approaches to REDD+ safeguards’, in which Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, and Viet Nam, shared their experiences, reflections and lessons learned. The session on ‘Informing stakeholders in REDD+: SIS design and country experiences’ highlighted experiences from both Costa Rica and Peru, as well as results from recent UN-REDD publications on safeguard information system (SIS) design. Valerie Kapos moderated a session on ‘Where and how can REDD+ deliver most benefits’. Lera Miles noted in her review presentation during this session that choices on where and how to implement REDD+ will affect the potential benefits and risks, stating that REDD+ safeguards also aim to enhance the social and environmental benefits of REDD+. Participants took part in an interactive discussion on ‘How Could Information on the Valuation of Ecosystem Services be Brought Together with Mapping Work to Better Inform REDD+ Choices?’, which was followed by presentations on the mapping of multiple benefits of REDD+ in the Republic of Congo and on the cost-benefit analysis of REDD+ options in Cambodia.

A Central African Forestry Commission (COMIFAC) hosted side event on REDD+ and modelling of future deforestation and degradation trends highlighted how modelling can support the development of REDD+ policies that achieve multiple objectives, including sustainable development, reducing emissions and biodiversity conservation. The session presented the results of the REDD-PAC project, a collaborative project between COMIFAC, IIASA and UNEP-WCMC, and included a presentation from Valerie Kapos on ‘Ensuring REDD+ policies address and respect biodiversity-related safeguards’. After the presentations, a panel discussion took place, with questions from the audience, including several government officials from the region.

In addition to these side events, several members of the Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme attended the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), held over a weekend alongside the COP, which brought together more than 3,000 participants to ‘find pathways toward sustainable land use’. The GLF focused on four themes this year: landscape restoration; finance and trade; tenure and rights; and achieving climate and development goals. In addition to participating in multiple discussion and plenary sessions, the UNEP-WCMC team also contributed to a side discussion on REDD+ learning, a session on the role of models and data in policy development and manned the UNEP UN-REDD information booth. There was a lot of interest in the UN-REDD Programme, and associated publications, and much stimulating discussion with Forum participants. The GLF closing plenary was facilitated by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, taking a closer look at some of the initiatives that emerged throughout the Forum, with a focus on what action is needed in landscapes to realize international policy goals; how restoration can help achieve climate, food security and livelihood goals in practice; and what finance is able to do for landscapes.

Presenters at 'Where and How Can REDD+ Deliver Most Benefits?' 7 December 2015. L-R: Elina Väänänen, UNEP-WCMC; Saturnine Carine Milandou, Ministry of Forest Economy and the Environment, Republic of Congo; Lera Miles, UNEP-WCMC; and, Valerie Kapos, UNEP-WCMC. Photo by IISD/ENB