Reducción de emisiones debidas a la deforestación y la degradación forestal (REDD+): salvaguardias

This guide, published by Natural Justice in May 2014, provides an introduction to the social and environmental safeguards and standards associated with REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). It is designed for forest-dependent communities and facilitators to help them understand international frameworks, identify their rights and responsibilities, and engage in national safeguard development processes to mitigate risks such as land dispossession and ensure equitable benefit sharing.

• The UNFCCC's 'Cancun Agreements' establish seven safeguards that countries implementing REDD+ must 'promote and support'. These include ensuring actions are consistent with national forest programs and international agreements, maintaining transparent and effective national forest governance, respecting the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and ensuring the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders.
• Beyond the UNFCCC, other internationally recognized safeguards and standards exist, including the UN-REDD Programme's Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria (SEPC), the REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (REDD+ SES), and the World Bank's Operational Policies (OP) used by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). These vary in specificity; for example, REDD+ SES is described as the most detailed and specific globally, while the World Bank's OPs are designed for investment projects and may require a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) for readiness phases.
• Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a critical right for indigenous peoples to give or withhold consent for projects affecting their customary lands. While recognized by the UNFCCC (via the UNDRIP), UN-REDD, and REDD+ SES, its practical application is often hindered by insufficient time for decision-making and a lack of adequate information regarding project risks and benefit distribution.
• REDD+ creates significant risks and opportunities regarding land tenure. While it can incentivize land tenure reform and the recognition of customary rights, rapid formalization may lead to land being granted to external parties if customary regimes are ignored or if corruption occurs. Furthermore, the concept of 'carbon rights'—which determines who owns the carbon and receives payments—is not defined by the UNFCCC and is left to national legislation or individual contracts.
• Gender equality is a key concern as men and women have different roles and rights in forest management. While the Cancun Agreements mention 'gender considerations' and UN-REDD includes specific criteria for women's empowerment, the guide notes that the UNFCCC mandate is weak. There is a risk that existing inequalities could be exacerbated if women are excluded from design and benefit-sharing processes.
• Effective national safeguard systems require credible and accessible grievance mechanisms to ensure accountability. The guide highlights that such mechanisms should be developed early, be culturally appropriate, and include a clear process for communities to withdraw their consent.
• Case studies illustrate the difficulties of implementing safeguards in practice. In Panama, the National Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples (COONAPIP) withdrew from the UN-REDD National Joint Programme in February 2013 due to a lack of effective participation and failure to recognize indigenous institutions. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, civil society groups withdrew in June 2012 citing governance dysfunction and lack of funding for community communication.

APA

Traynor, C., & Campese, J. (2014). Reducción de emisiones debidas a la deforestación y la degradación forestal (REDD+): salvaguardias. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/REDD-Safeguards-Spanish.pdf

Chicago

Traynor, Cath, and Jessica Campese. Reducción de emisiones debidas a la deforestación y la degradación forestal (REDD+): salvaguardias. Natural Justice, 2014. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/REDD-Safeguards-Spanish.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Traynor |first1=Cath |last2=Campese |first2=Jessica |title=Reducción de emisiones debidas a la deforestación y la degradación forestal (REDD+): salvaguardias |publisher=Natural Justice |date=May 2014 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/REDD-Safeguards-Spanish.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{traynor2014reduccin, author = {Traynor, Cath and Campese, Jessica}, title = {{Reducción de emisiones debidas a la deforestación y la degradación forestal (REDD+): salvaguardias}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/REDD-Safeguards-Spanish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }