Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers Phase III: Lessons learned

This report details the outcomes of an expert meeting and field visit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2012. The event was part of the 'Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers' project, delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. The meeting focused on two primary determinants for the success of REDD+: the development of Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) and the fostering of effective private sector engagement.

• Private sector involvement is considered essential to bridge the funding gap between public sector finance and the needs of developing countries, as well as to provide technical expertise. However, increased engagement depends on policy clarity and certainty, specifically regarding the rights to own and trade carbon credits.
• A 'nested approach' is identified as the most promising policy option for mobilizing resources and involving the private sector. This requires national baselines that unify accounting and crediting across project, subnational, and national levels to effectively address leakage.
• REDD+ Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) do not necessarily require the creation of new indicators or methodologies. Instead, they can be built upon existing national and international architectures, such as national legislation, bilateral agreements, and reporting under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• To ensure the durability and effectiveness of SIS, it is critical to keep transaction costs low and seek innovative financing. Participants suggested that an online inventory or clearing house for uploading and downloading safeguard information could be an effective tool for reporting.
• Private sector motivation for REDD+ investment is driven by both monetary returns and 'reputational returns' linked to corporate social responsibility. To attract these investors, governments need to establish clear benefit-sharing arrangements, dispute settlement mechanisms, and risk-mitigation structures like insurance in contracts.
• Significant capacity gaps and research needs were identified across the REDD+ value chain. The most pressing needs cited by experts include Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV), mentioned by 11 experts, and Safeguards, mentioned by 10 experts, followed by benefits sharing, nested approaches, and private sector engagement.

APA

McFatridge, S., Boyle, J., Murphy, D., & Bernard, F. (2012). Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers Phase III: Lessons learned. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_nairobi_policy_capacity.pdf

Chicago

McFatridge, Scott, Jessica Boyle, Deborah Murphy, and Florence Bernard. Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers Phase III: Lessons learned. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_nairobi_policy_capacity.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McFatridge |first1=Scott |last2=Boyle |first2=Jessica |last3=Murphy |first3=Deborah |last4=Bernard |first4=Florence |title=Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers Phase III: Lessons learned |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_nairobi_policy_capacity.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcfatridge2012building, author = {McFatridge, Scott and Boyle, Jessica and Murphy, Deborah and Bernard, Florence}, title = {{Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers Phase III: Lessons learned}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/redd_nairobi_policy_capacity.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }