Using Accountability

This briefing examines the role of accountability tools in land-use planning and permitting through case studies in Brazil and Indonesia to provide recommendations for the design of national REDD+ programs.

• Accountability tools in land-use planning and permitting serve three primary functions: facilitating negotiations for reforms, protecting people and the environment during policy implementation, and enabling oversight actors to enforce agreed-upon rules.
• The effectiveness of accountability tools is influenced by the clarity of laws, the strength of oversight institutions, and the strength of economic incentives.
• To improve REDD+ programs, designers should integrate accountability tools that target the reputational, financial, and legal interests of governments at both national and subnational levels, ensuring these tools address social and environmental outcomes in addition to greenhouse gas emission reductions.
• REDD+ programs should leverage existing clear and effective laws and institutions rather than layering new programs over ineffective laws, which could hinder the ability of oversight actors to hold government officials accountable.
• Including civil society in the drafting of REDD+ laws and granting them specific roles, such as monitoring, can strengthen their capacity as accountability and oversight actors.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Using Accountability. https://www.wri.org/research/using-accountability

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Using Accountability. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/using-accountability.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Using Accountability |url=https://www.wri.org/research/using-accountability |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendusing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Using Accountability}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/using-accountability}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }