The Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector can provide up to one-third of the emission reductions needed to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change (IPCC, 2019). Conserving and sustainably managing forests can unlock significant emission reductions, with approximately 3.3 GtCO2/year of cost-effective mitigation potential in the tropics alone, representing the most significant opportunity to increase the ambition of NDCs in many tropical forested countries.
Many countries refer in their NDCs to reducing deforestation as a priority with high mitigation potential, including efforts to implement Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). As of 1 May, 2021, 47 out of 55 countries that submitted enhanced or updated NDCs to the UNFCCC mention forests. Many Parties also highlight the importance of social and environmental co-benefits resulting from these mitigation activities, including adaptation co-benefits.
Despite this demonstrated political will, both public and private efforts have not made sufficient progress towards reducing emissions from forest loss. Tropical primary forest loss has generally increased, with 4.2 million hectares lost in 2020 (NYDF Assessment Partners, 2021). Substantially accelerated efforts (at least five-fold by 2030 and three-fold by 2050) are needed to ensure that reduced deforestation and restoration contribute fully to achieving the Paris temperature goal.
The UN-REDD Programme provides technical assistance and policy advice to countries to assess, enhance, and accelerate NDC mitigation actions in the forest and land use sector by:
Drawing from 10-plus years of REDD+ experience, UN-REDD has identified considerations that are key to enhancing NDC mitigation action through forest solutions:
Careful consideration of the unique characteristics of the land-use sector (e.g. highly dynamic, already occurring impacts of climate change) when designing forest-based climate solutions, including the risk of reversals as well as emissions displacement.
Awareness of the evolving UNFCCC landscape, particularly the newly agreed Article 6 and Transparency aspects of the Paris Rulebook.
Supporting flexible approaches to meet NDC goals through innovative financing and implementation of forest solutions.
Fostering enhanced inter-ministerial coordination bodies at the institutional level.
Facilitating access to results-based finance to support implementation of the forest sector contribution to the NDC targets or goals.
Integrating key REDD+ components, particularly social and environmental safeguards and national forest monitoring systems, into the broader forest and land use sector to foster NDC ambition and contribute to implementation.
