funny blurb from SBSTA's opening plenary

In the opening of SBSTA at COP17, there was a brief moment of humor as the Gambia, speaking on behalf of Least Developed Countries, had her computer die and her notes no longer visible. After a brief curse, she joked "So if there was any doubt, let me reiterate that we are speaking on behalf of the LCDs"...

official UNFCCC/SBSTA/2011/2 released

This was posted by the UNFCCC on August 3, 2011.

The parts relevant to REDD, from the meetings in Bonn, Germany this past summer, are posted below:

Agenda item 4

IV. Methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

1. Proceedings

26. The SBSTA considered this item at its 3rd and 4th meetings. Statements were made by representatives of 13 Parties, including one on behalf of the European Union and its member States.

27. At its 3rd meeting, the SBSTA agreed to consider this item in a contact group, co- chaired by Mr. Peter Graham (Canada) and Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines). At the 4th meeting, Mr. Graham reported on the contact group’s consultations. Also at its 4th meeting, the SBSTA considered and adopted conclusions (FCCC/SBSTA/2011/L.14) proposed by the Chair.

2. Conclusions

28. The SBSTA considered views on methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, taking into account issues identified in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16 and relevant issues.

29. In considering methodological issues referred to in paragraph 28 above, Parties identified a range of issues, including guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards referred to in appendix I to decision 1/CP.16 are addressed and respected, modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels, and modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying, as referred to in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16.

30. The SBSTA decided to continue its consideration of the methodological guidance referred to in paragraph 28 above, taking into account the elements referred to in annex II to this document, with the aim of completing its work on these matters at its thirty-fifth session and reporting to the Conference of the Parties (COP) at its seventeenth session on progress made, including any recommendations for draft decisions on this matter.

31. The SBSTA invited Parties and accredited observers to submit to the secretariat, by 19 September 2011, their views on the issues identified in paragraphs 28–30 above. It requested the secretariat to compile the submissions from Parties into a miscellaneous document for consideration by the SBSTA at its thirty-fifth session. The SBSTA also requested the secretariat to organize, subject to the availability of supplementary funds, meetings of technical experts on the matters referred to in paragraphs 28 and 29 above, including a meeting before its thirty-fifth session.

32. The SBSTA requested its Chair to continue exploring ways of facilitating the coordination of the activities relating to decisions 2/CP.13, 4/CP.15 and 1/CP.16, and to report back to the SBSTA at its future sessions.

33. The SBSTA took note of the progress report by the secretariat on the implementation of the activities identified in document FCCC/SBSTA/2010/6, paragraph 40, in particular the establishment of an interactive discussion forum on the web platform (http://unfccc.int/methods_science/redd/items/4531.php). The SBSTA encouraged all Parties and their relevant experts, relevant organizations and stakeholders to participate actively in the interactive discussion forum.

34. The SBSTA also encouraged Parties to support the other activities identified in its conclusions of its thirty-second session13 and those identified in decisions 2/CP.13, 4/CP.15 and 1/CP.16. It reminded Parties, relevant organizations and stakeholders to continue sharing information and experiences on these activities via the web platform on the UNFCCC website.

SBSTA 34 NEGOTIATIONS - INCREMENTAL PROGRESS ON REDD

Global Canopy Programme has a great summary of what happened at SBSTA 34 on REDD+. Thanks Charley and Angela.

SBSTA 34 text on REDD

This is text of the L.14 SBSTA document, hyperlinked in the blog title.

TFG believes this text reflects some minor progress on key issues, there is room for more progress to be made by SBSTA35/COP17, but the progress is minimal.

fccc/SBSTA/2011/L.14

Distr.: Limited 16 June 2011

Original: English

Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice Thirty-fourth session Bonn, 6–16 June 2011

Agenda item 4

Methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

Methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

Draft conclusions proposed by the Chair

1. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) considered views on methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, taking into account issues identified in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16 and relevant issues.

2. In considering methodological issues referred to in paragraph 1 above, Parties identified a range of issues, including guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards referred to in appendix I to decision 1/CP.16 are addressed and respected, modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels, and modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying as referred to in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16.

3. The SBSTA decided to continue its consideration of the methodological guidance referred to in paragraph 1 above, taking into account the elements referred to in the annex, with the aim of completing its work on these matters at its thirty-fifth session and reporting to the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session on progress made, including any recommendations for draft decisions on this matter.

4. The SBSTA invited Parties and accredited observers to submit to the secretariat, by 19 September 2011, their views on the issues identified in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above. It requested the secretariat to compile the submissions by Parties into a miscellaneous document for consideration by the SBSTA at its thirty-fifth session. The SBSTA requested the secretariat to organize, subject to the availability of supplementary funds, meetings of technical experts on matters referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, including a meeting before its thirty-fifth session.

5. The SBSTA requested its Chair to continue exploring ways of facilitating the coordination of the activities relating to decisions 2/CP.13, 4/CP.15 and 1/CP.16, and to report back to the SBSTA at future sessions.

6. The SBSTA took note of the progress report by the secretariat on the implementation of the activities identified in document FCCC/SBSTA/2010/6, paragraph 40, in particular the establishment of an interactive discussion forum on the web platform.1 The SBSTA encouraged all Parties and their relevant experts, relevant organizations and stakeholders to participate actively in the interactive discussion forum.

7. The SBSTA encouraged Parties to support the other activities identified in its conclusions at its thirty-second session2 and those identified in decisions 2/CP.13, 4/CP.15 and 1/CP.16. It also reminded Parties, relevant organizations and stakeholders to continue sharing information and experiences on these activities via the web platform on the UNFCCC website.

Annex

General guidance for submissions and future work regarding: guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards referred to in appendix I to decision 1/CP.16 are addressed and respected; modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels; and modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying as referred to in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16

1. Guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards are addressed and respected:

(a) Characteristics;

(b) Design;

(c) Provision of information;

(d) Potential barriers, including barriers, if any, to providing information, on addressing and respecting safeguards;

(e) Other relevant issues.

2. Guidance for modalities relating to forest reference levels and forest reference emission levels:

(a) Scope and/or purpose;

(b) Characteristics, including elements listed in paragraph 1 of appendix I to decision 1/CP.16;

(c) Guidance for the construction;

(d) Process for communication;

(e) Other relevant issues.

3. Guidance on modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying, as referred to in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16:

(a) Characteristics, including elements listed in paragraph 1 of appendix I to decision 1/CP.16;

(b) Elements;

(c) Process for reporting;

(d) Other relevant issues.

SBSTA 34, REDD+, reference levels

TFG's SBSTA recommendations includes 3 elements of a decision:

(1) SBSTA recommends that COP17 invites developing Country Parties to submit to the secretariat, for publication on the REDD Web Platform, proposed REDD+ reference levels and reference emission levels, with the following information:

• Historical rates of emissions from deforestation and degradation

• The time period used for estimating historical activity data and any relevant explanation of these time periods

• Information on forest classes, activity data, and emissions factors used in proposing REDD+ reference levels and the methods used for following IPCC guidance, including use of the IPCC Emission Factor Database, and any relevant estimates of uncertainty.

• A weighting factor to adjust historical levels for national circumstances

• Any proposed quantitative adjustment to historical rates based on the weighting factor.

• Any subnational allocations of REDD+ reference levels and reference emission levels and any explanation as to how subnational allocations were made.

(2) SBSTA recommends that COP17 request SBSTA, in cooperation with the Secretariat, and based on REDD+ reference levels and reference emission levels published on the REDD Web Platform, to establish a system for encouraging transparent expert review of the levels in (1).

(3) SBSTA annually publishes summary reports of the levels (1) and the outcomes of the review (2) and forward these to COPs for consideration, beginning at COP19.

A Brief History of REDD-Plus Negotiations

Note: this article has been excerpted from The Cancun Agreements: Do they advance global cooperation on climate change?, which was published by the Field Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development.

By: Tony La Viña, Lawrence Ang and Joanne Dulce

Historic Cancun Agreement for Sub-National REDD+

The Tropical Forest Group is still reviewing the final negotiating text (the most recent electronic version is hyper-linked in the title), but it is clear:

1) The UNFCCC process is alive and well;

2) REDD+, including interim sub-national REDD+, is one of the most important United Nations decisions adopted by consensus since 1992's Rio Agreements;

3) It is a supersonic historic accomplishment for a wounded process that citizens worldwide should be proud of;

3) This agreement, combined with a REDD+ Mechanism in the Copenhagen Accord and California's recent decision to move forward with sectoral REDD crediting, and all the elements are in place for profound positive developments in the conservation of tropical forests.

4) The participation and role of forest communities, local people, indigenous peoples, and ordinary citizens in the subsequent decision-making will ultimately determine whether REDD+ will succeed.

5) You should get up and dance, this is epic. TFG has been working on sub-national REDD+ and the importance of setting forest reference levels for years, because of their importance.

(Below is TFG's transcription of the REDD+ parts of the LCA text of the Cancun Agreement, which is yet to be officially published. We have included the dedicated REDD+ paragraphs and the two relevant Annexes. This is not official text.)

Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on long- term Cooperative Action under the Convention

III C. Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

Affirming that, in the context of the provision of adequate and predictable support to developing country Parties, Parties should collectively aim to slow, halt and reverse forest cover and carbon loss, according to national circumstances, consistent with the ultimate objective of the Convention, as stated in Article 2,

Also affirming the need to promote broad country participation in all phases described in paragraph 73 below, including through the provision of support that takes into account existing capacities,

68. Encourages all Parties to find effective ways to reduce the human pressure on forests that results in greenhouse gas emissions, including actions to address drivers of deforestation;

69. Affirms that the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 below should be carried out in accordance with annex I to this decision, and that the safeguards referred to in paragraph 2 of annex I to this decision should be promoted and supported;

70. Encourages developing country Parties to contribute to mitigation actions in the forest sector by undertaking the following activities, as deemed appropriate by each Party and in accordance with their respective capabilities and national circumstances:

(a) Reducing emissions from deforestation;

(b) Reducing emissions from forest degradation;

(c) Conservation of forest carbon stocks;

(d) Sustainable management of forest;

(e) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks;

71. Requests developing country Parties aiming to undertake activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, in the context of the provision of adequate and predictable support, including financial resources and technical and technological support to developing country Parties, in accordance with national circumstances and respective capabilities, to develop the following elements:

(a) A national strategy or action plan;

(b) A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level (6) or, if appropriate, as an interim measure, subnational forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels, in accordance with national circumstances, and with provisions contained in decision 4/CP.15, and with any further elaboration of those provisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties;

(c) A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system for the monitoring and reporting of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, with, if appropriate, subnational monitoring and reporting as an interim measure,(7) in accordance with national circumstances, and with the provisions contained in decision 4/CP.15, and with any further elaboration of those provisions agreed by the Conference of the Parties;

(d) A system for providing information on how the safeguards referred to in annex I to this decision are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70, while respecting sovereignty;

72. Also requests developing country Parties, when developing and implementing their national strategies or action plans, to address, inter alia, drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, land tenure issues, forest governance issues, gender considerations and the safeguards identified in paragraph 2 of annex I to this decision, ensuring the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, inter alia, indigenous peoples and local communities;

73. Decides that the activities undertaken by Parties referred to in paragraph 70 above should be implemented in phases beginning with the development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures, and capacity-building, followed by the implementation of national policies and measures and national strategies or action plans that could involve further capacity-building, technology development and transfer and results-based demonstration activities, and evolving into results-based actions that should be fully measured, reported and verified;

74. Recognizes that the implementation of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, including the choice of a starting phase as referred to in paragraph 73 above, depends on the specific national circumstances, capacities and capabilities of each developing country Party and the level of support received;

75. Requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to develop a work programme on the matters referred to in annex II to this decision;

76. Urges Parties, in particular developed country Parties, to support, through multilateral and bilateral channels, the development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures and capacity-building, followed by the implementation of national policies and measures, and national strategies or action plans, that could involve further capacity building, technology development and transfer and results-based demonstration activities including consideration of the safeguards referred to in paragraph 2 of annex I to this decision, taking into account the relevant provisions on finance including those relating to reporting on support;

77. Requests the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention to explore financing options for the full implementation of the results-based actions (8) referred to in paragraph 73 above, and to report on progress made, including any recommendations for draft decisions on this matter, to the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

78. Also requests Parties to ensure coordination of the activities referred to in paragraph 70 above, including of the related support, particularly at the national level;

79. Invites relevant international organizations and stakeholders to contribute to the activities referred to in paragraphs 70 and 78 above.

Footnotes

6 In accordance with national circumstances, national forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels could be a combination of subnational forest reference emissions levels and/or forest reference levels.

7 Including monitoring and reporting of emissions displacement at the national level, if appropriate, and reporting on how displacement of emissions is being addressed, and on the means to integrate subnational monitoring systems into a national monitoring system.

8 These actions require national monitoring systems.

Annex I. Guidance and safeguards for policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

1. Activities referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision should:

(a) Contribute to the achievement of the objective set out in Article 2 of the Convention;

(b) Contribute to the fulfilment of the commitments set out in Article 4, paragraph 3, of the Convention;

(c) Be country-driven and be considered options available to Parties;

(d) Be consistent with the objective of environmental integrity and take into account the multiple functions of forests and other ecosystems;

(e) Be undertaken in accordance with national development priorities, objectives and circumstances and capabilities and should respect sovereignty;

(f) Be consistent with Parties’ national sustainable development needs and goals;

(g) Be implemented in the context of sustainable development and reducing poverty, while responding to climate change;

(h) Be consistent with the adaptation needs of the country;

(i) Be supported by adequate and predictable financial and technology support, including support for capacity-building;

(j) Be results-based;

(k) Promote sustainable management of forests;

2. When undertaking activities referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision, the following safeguards should be promoted and supported:

(a) Actions complement or are consistent with the objectives of national forest programmes and relevant international conventions and agreements;

(b) Transparent and effective national forest governance structures, taking into account national legislation and sovereignty;

(c) Respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and members of local communities, by taking into account relevant international obligations, national circumstances and laws, and noting that the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

(d) The full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, in particular, indigenous peoples and local communities, in actions referred to in paragraphs 70 and 72 of this decision;

(e) Actions are consistent with the conservation of natural forests and biological diversity, ensuring that actions referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision are not used for the conversion of natural forests, but are instead used to incentivize the protection and conservation of natural forests and their ecosystem services, and to enhance other social and environmental benefits; (1)

(f) Actions to address the risks of reversals;

(g) Actions to reduce displacement of emissions.

Footnotes. 1 Taking into account the need for sustainable livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities and their interdependence on forests in most countries, reflected in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as the International Mother Earth Day.

Annex II. Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice work programme on policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

In the development of its work programme, the SBSTA is requested to:

(a) Identify land use, land-use change and forestry activities in developing countries, in particular those that are linked to the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, to identify the associated methodological issues to estimate emissions and removals resulting from these activities, and to assess their potential contribution to the mitigation of climate change, and report on the findings to the Conference of the Parties at its eighteenth session on the outcomes of the work referred to in this paragraph;

(b) Develop modalities relating to paragraphs 71 (b) and (c), and guidance relating to paragraph 71 (d) of this decision, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

(c) Develop as necessary, modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying anthropogenic forest-related emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks, forest carbon stock and forest area changes resulting from the implementation of activities referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision, consistent with any guidance for measuring, reporting and verification of nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing country Parties agreed by the Conference of the Parties, taking into account methodological guidance in accordance with decision 4/CP.15, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session;

Dec 8 LCA text: nerdy SBSTA REDD stuff

The new LCA text is out, with even more brackets on key issues. One area that has not received a lot of attending is the SBSTA mandate. In the new (and old) text, Annex III is a request to SBSTA for a REDD+ work program.

TFG believes the SBSTA mandate is a very good start (including national and sub-national modalities for key issues such as reference levels) but misses the most important work SBSTA should do in coming years.

The current SBSTA request is limited to paragraphs 67 and 68. TFG believes the text should also request SBSTA to cover MRV issues associated with results-based demonstration activities and results-based actions (that are discussed in paragraph 70). Improved language to deliver more comprehensive and coordinate technical work would go from initial designs and reference levels (67 and 68) all the way through results-based actions and MRV. SBSTA has taken years to have a good decision on REDD (especially reference levels) but must evaluate the full range of technical issues that will come in various phases in a coordinated manner. In fact, paragraphs 70 specifically refers to paragraph 67, but goes into more detail on key technical and scientific issues and MRV.

Other parts of the REDD text allow a country to use different starting phases, but if SBSTA is restricted to paras 67 and 68, then countries ready to go the fastest, and wanting the integrity of SBSTA, will have to wait. This could be accomplished by adding the following text to Annex III, paragraph (c):

…resulting from implementation of activities referred to in paragraph 67 [ …and paragraph 70 ] of this decision, consistent with….

This will ensure SBSTA develops modalities for the most important issue, the MRV of results-based demonstration activities and results-based actions.

We know that this is unlikely to change since it is not bracketed text, but if negotiations allow, such changes would ensure a more consistent (across time), equitable (countries can pick their starting phases) and supportive SBSTA process on REDD+.

draft SBSTA REDD text: FCCC/SBSTA/2009/L.9

Here is the latest draft language from the Bonn climate change talks on REDD. This document (hyperlinked in the title bar) was not the final version of a SBSTA text adopted - that post is coming soon.

In this draft decision, there are no major fireworks that would accelerate or slow down the REDD process in the march to a deal in Copenhagen. Overall, this text is another indication that the UNFCCC is unlikely to be the process where a new climate change deal gets sealed. A general sentiment now is that the political will for a new post-Kyoto Protocol agreement will come from outside the UNFCCC process. There is significant buzz around the need for a bi-lateral breakthrough on climate change between China and the United States. And there are plenty of signals that if the US and China can hammer out something bold, a new deal could be announced in the Major Economies Forum or in the G8/G20 processes. If a new pact on climate change can be struck in time in one of these arenas, then the UNFCCC would hopefully be able to pull together a legally-binding agreement.

Key Points of the L.9 draft REDD text are:
1) The Chair of SBSTA is to report at SBSTA 31 on ways to facilitate coordination - which seems like it should give the Chair a fair amount of flexibility in deciding procedural issues.

2) Proposed an Annex on Methodological REDD Guidance with the following issues:
a) Indicative guidance" is in brackets - clearly a set back from the Bali decisions
b) Basic stuff it has covered before, including combination of remote sensing and ground-based forest carbon inventories
c) Has bracketed [undecided] that monitoring systems should be open to independent review as agreed by the COP

3) Suggests further IPCC guidance may be needed

4) As appropriate, guidance on effective engagement of indigenous peoples and local communities in monitoring and reporting.

5) Suggests reference emission levels and reference levels could take into account a whole host of variables (this is likely to slow eventual REDD implementation and make baselines less comparable)