REDD: Bridging the Gap between Negotiation and Action

The briefing outlines nine key priority areas for REDD implementation, emphasizing the need for its inclusion in an international climate agreement alongside agriculture. It argues for a balanced approach to Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) to avoid discouraging developing countries, suggests using IPCC guidelines for baselines, and proposes regional cooperation to manage transboundary leakage. The document highlights the importance of social and environmental co-benefits for local communities to ensure project permanence and calls for a combination of public grant funds and market-based financing. Finally, it advocates for a phased implementation approach to support countries with varying levels of technical readiness and capacity.

• REDD should be integrated into an international climate agreement with a broad scope that covers avoiding deforestation, reducing forest degradation, and the conservation and sustainable management of forests. The document also argues that agriculture should be included in such an agreement to allow African nations to access financial benefits and improve soil and water quality.
• Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) requirements must be balanced to maintain greenhouse gas integrity without creating excessive burdens that would make REDD less attractive than other mitigation options for developing countries.
• To address transboundary leakage—where deforestation activities shift to neighboring countries—the document suggests regional cooperation through organizations such as ASEAN, COMIFAC, and COMESA.
• Successful REDD implementation depends on delivering social and environmental co-benefits, such as poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation, to local communities. This is identified as the most effective way to mitigate the risk of non-permanence in carbon stocks.
• Financing for REDD requires a mix of public grants for capacity building and market-based approaches. The document notes that the European Union Emission Trading System and a proposed Canadian cap-and-trade scheme currently do not accept international forestry offsets and should reconsider this.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2009). REDD: Bridging the Gap between Negotiation and Action. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_key_messages_copenhagen.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. REDD: Bridging the Gap between Negotiation and Action. 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_key_messages_copenhagen.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=REDD: Bridging the Gap between Negotiation and Action |date=2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_key_messages_copenhagen.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2009redd, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{REDD: Bridging the Gap between Negotiation and Action}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_key_messages_copenhagen.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }