REDD & local or regional authorities

Annelien van Meer, CREM

16 November 2011

Background: feasibility study 2008

• City of Amsterdam and Province of Zuid-Holland wanted to investigate the possibilities to compensate CO2 emissions by REDD• CREM was commissioned to study the feasibility of this idea • Overview of outcomes:

• Criteria for local authorities to participate in REDD need further development• Uncertain what amounts of CO2 need to be compensated

2010/2011: WWF’s initiative towards local & regional governments

• Cancún: acknowledgement of cities’ role in climate policy (Mexico City Pact)• General trend: ongoing decentralization• 2011: International Year of the Forest. Momentum for a bottom-up initiative?

WWF commissioned CREM to make an inventory of the willingness of local and regional governments to cooperate with WWF in REDD

Goal of the inventory

Finding local or regional authorities that:• Do not want to wait for a global agreement on REDD;• Have ambitious policies in climate, biodiversity and the international area;• See the benefits of combining these ambitions;• Would like to take the lead or to be trendsetting towards other authorities.

The inventory

Set-up -> two rounds of inventorial discussions: • First round: VNG (+ VNG international), Klimaatverbond, IPO and UvW• Second round: individual local and regional authorities (Tilburg, Utrecht, Apeldoorn, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, provincie Noord-Brabant, provincie Utrecht)

Remarkable findings ITotally different opinions on the involvement of local and regional authorities in REDD:• IPO: “Regional authorities are strictly bound to their own territory. They cannot invest in international projects”• Noord-Brabant: “We have a strong link with deforestation in Brazil because of the soy consumption of the meat industry within our territory. We feel the need to take our responsibility.”

Remarkable findings II

• VNG: “International climate policies of local authorities are challenged by large budget cutbacks and the focus of local implementation.”• VNG International: “Millennium Local Authorities that focus on MDG 7 (70%) will certainly be interested.”• Utrecht: “We are planting our own climate compensation forest in Nicaragua.”• Apeldoorn: “We are absolutely restricted to investing within our own territory.”

An overview of the results I

Local authorities:• 2006 – 2010: the years of high ambitions, strategic plans, setting policy goals, etc.• 2010 – 2014: implementation! However:

• Budget cutbacks

• Political debate on ‘kerntaken’ (core responsibilities)

• Political shifts in city councils

An overview of the results II• Difference between civil servant and political/administrative point of view;• Administrators are more hesitant in investments in REDD because of political pressure and criticism of citizens

• City councils and administrators need to understand the relevance of international REDD projects -> communication and lobby! • There needs to be a link with awareness raising towards citizens.

• Direct financing of REDD projects seems to be a bridge too far at this moment.

Recommendations

• On the local and regional level, REDD has the strongest link with climate policies

• Biodiversity policies are often non-existent or very limited• International policies face major cutbacks.

• International aspects of local climate policy are not widely aknowledged at the political/administrative level – more knowledge and advocacy is needed!

Recommendations

• Find other financiers to cooperate with.• E.g. Make it possible to form PPPs – many of the interviewed local authorities were interested in working together with companies in REDD!• Find out which companies are willing to participate in such PPPs.

Questions

• Local and regional governments want national government to take the lead -> how to match with national policy?• How can we communicate the relevance of REDD to local and regional governments (plus their political bodies)? • How can we involve citizens and the private sector in REDD?• What is the role of the REDD Platform in this?