Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects

The document examines the 'jurisdictional approach' (JA)—a comprehensive, government-led strategy for forest and land-use governance across defined political territories. It argues that subnational jurisdictions (states, provinces, districts) are critical for scaling emissions reductions because they are closer to land users and possess the authority to shape land-use decisions. Through case studies in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and Mexico, the paper highlights that while JA fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration and policy innovation, it is frequently hampered by political turnover, limited public sector capacity, and a lack of tangible financial incentives. The authors conclude that JA is not a 'silver bullet' but a necessary recognition of the role of multi-level government in protecting forests and enhancing livelihoods.

• The jurisdictional approach (JA) is defined as a "government-led, comprehensive approach to forest and land use across one or more legally defined territories," designed to overcome the scaling limitations of individual projects.
• Subnational governments are essential for implementing forest and climate policies because they are "closer to the farmers and communities who manage the land" and often hold substantial power over land-use decisions, whereas national scales can be too heterogeneous or distant.
• Case studies demonstrate diverse outcomes: Acre, Brazil, has used economic-ecological zoning and a rural property licensing system to resolve land titling disputes; Mato Grosso, Brazil, achieved an 89 percent reduction in deforestation below 1996–2005 levels by 2012; and Sabah, Malaysia, increased strict protected areas from 9,000 sq. km in 2007 to 19,000 sq. km in 2016.
• Political instability and turnover pose significant risks to the durability of JA; for example, progress in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, "considerably slowed" after Governor Teras Narang stepped down in 2016.
• There is a critical lack of financial incentives and a convincing "value proposition" to encourage subnational leaders, as international REDD+ finance has largely failed to materialize for most jurisdictions over the last decade.
• Private sector engagement through "preferential sourcing" of commodities from sustainable jurisdictions remains in early stages, with few actual partnerships emerging despite commitments made at COP21.
• The document identifies a tendency to prioritize "on the books" declarations and laws over actual functional capabilities and results, which can create perverse incentives to elevate form over function.

APA

Boyd, W., Stickler, C., Duchelle, A. E., Seymour, F., Nepstad, D., Bahar, N. H., & Rodriguez-Ward, D. (2018). Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/ending-tropical-deforestation-jurisdictional-approaches-redd.pdf

Chicago

Boyd, William, Claudia Stickler, Amy E. Duchelle, Frances Seymour, Daniel Nepstad, Nur H.A. Bahar, and Dawn Rodriguez-Ward. Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects. World Resources Institute, 2018. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/ending-tropical-deforestation-jurisdictional-approaches-redd.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Boyd |first1=William |last2=Stickler |first2=Claudia |last3=Duchelle |first3=Amy E. |last4=Seymour |first4=Frances |last5=Nepstad |first5=Daniel |last6=Bahar |first6=Nur H.A. |last7=Rodriguez-Ward |first7=Dawn |title=Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=June 2018 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/ending-tropical-deforestation-jurisdictional-approaches-redd.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{boyd2018jurisdictional, author = {Boyd, William and Stickler, Claudia and Duchelle, Amy E. and Seymour, Frances and Nepstad, Daniel and Bahar, Nur H.A. and Rodriguez-Ward, Dawn}, title = {{Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/ending-tropical-deforestation-jurisdictional-approaches-redd.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }