Pixabay
22 Nov 2019 Press release Forests

Green Climate Fund approves REDD+ Emission Reductions in Paraguay for a value of USD 72.5 million for keeping its forests standing

  • The Green Climate Fund has approved results-based payments for Paraguay for reduced forest emissions of 26 million tons of CO2 between 2015 and 2017.
  • An initial disbursement of USD 50 million was approved at the 24th Board meeting; with support from UNEP Paraguay will access the remaining of the results-based payments in 2020.
  • Forests are a key nature-based solution in the fight against the climate crisis.

Songdo, 22 November 2019 – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved the submission by Paraguay of 26 million tons of CO2 of forest emission reductions for a total value of 72.5 million USD.

The approval, announced at GCF’s 24th Board meeting on 13 November, is in recognition of the successful efforts of Paraguay, home to the second largest forest ecosystem in South America, in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation between 2015 and 2017.

Paraguay’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ariel Oviedo, said: “We are very grateful to the GCF and the board members for their trust in Paraguay. We are committed to honor that trust with positive actions in favor of our environment.”

This is the fourth REDD+ results-based payment by the GCF in 2019, which demonstrates that investments by governments into halting deforestation through REDD+ are increasingly paying off.

Highlighting the “importance of GCF’s close collaboration with its partners,” Yannick Glemarec, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund underscored the crucial roles of UNEP and FAO in helping turn drawing board ideas into innovative action.”

The project, which will catalyze a paradigm shift in the valuation of forests, will be implemented under the leadership of the Government of Paraguay. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), a UN-REDD Programme agency with vast experience working on nature-based solutions to climate change, will provide support in the process. FAO and UNDP, partner agencies in UN-REDD, will collaborate in the implementation. 

“The deployment of nature-based solutions such as REDD+ could deliver more than a third of the emissions reductions needed by 2030 if funded properly to achieve their full potential,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “The GCF Board’s decision to reward Paraguay for its forest protection efforts is an important step in the right direction.”

The project is the result of a thorough process of REDD+ readiness, supported by the UN-REDD Programme. The proceeds of the project will be used to finance the National Strategy for Forest and Sustainable Growth (ENBCS) and the operationalization of the National Climate Change Fund.

The ENBCS, based on a comprehensive and participatory analysis, identifies the most effective actions to address direct and indirect drivers of forest loss and barriers to change. The National Climate Change Fund will finance actions towards Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), REDD+ activities and low-carbon development. A safeguard mechanism intrinsic to the Fund will guarantee the equitable distribution of the benefits from the results-based payment.

The results-based payments will reduce CO2 emissions through the conservation of forest cover, promotion of sustainable agriculture, participation of private sector and the strengthening of indigenous peoples and rural communities as guardians of the forests.

REDD+ and forests are a proven and available nature-based solution that must be part of the response to the climate emergency. Without concerted investments at scale into nature, achieving a 1.5-degree target or net-zero emissions by 2050 will not be possible.

Deforestation and forest degradation account for approximately 11 percent of carbon emissions, more than the entire global transportation sector and second only to the energy sector. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It provides financial incentives to developing countries for forest protection and creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering results-based payments to countries for halted deforestation during a period of time based on rigorous technical evaluation.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the UN Environment Programme

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Florian Eisele, Head of Communications UN-REDD Prorgramme, UNEP, +352.691588863