REDD+ in Pacific Island Countries

Foresters measuring the diameter of a tree

Deforestation and forest degradation account for 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Although Pacific Island Countries (PICs) contribute marginally to these emissions, the larger forested PICs can significantly reduce their national emissions through improvements in forest management practices. This opens up opportunities for these countries to benefit financially from maintaining and establishing forest areas to mitigate climate change through a carbon financing mechanism under REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

The sustainable management and conservation of forest areas will also have ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits for smaller island countries. Thus the supported REDD+ mechanism is an important aspect of climate protection and includes conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in addition to reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

To develop regional and national policies as well as institutional capacities for the implementation of REDD+, the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC LRD) received support from Germany’s International Climate Initiative for that regional project. ICI is financing climate protection projects of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in developing countries since 2008.

The regional component covers all SPC member countries and territories, but national activities focus on four countries with large forest cover: Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. 

The project is implemented by GIZ and has 3 components:

  1. Regional Policy Framework for REDD+
  2. Regional REDD+ Information and Support
  3. National REDD+ Readiness
Project Category

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