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REDD & local or regional authorities

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

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REDD & local or regional authorities

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  1. REDD & local or regional authorities Annelien van Meer, CREM 16 November 2011

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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)

  6. Remarkable findings I • Totally 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.”

  7. 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.”

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. 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 aknowledgedat the political/administrative level – more knowledge and advocacy is needed!

  11. 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.

  12. 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?

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