The Global Comparative Study of REDD+

Tropical forest countries are beginning to develop policies and initiate projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.  These emissions are responsible for up to a fifth of all global carbon emissions - more than the entire global transport sector.

Everyone involved in working on these issues - from project proponents to government ministries, donors, United Nations agencies and members of the public - needs to know what works and what does not.

Given the urgency of climate change, we do not have the luxury of decades to study and publish before refining pilot programmes. The information is needed in real time.

WHAT WORKS?

To aid the research and knowledge-sharing process, the CIFOR and its partner organisations are undertaking one of the world's first comparative studies of the implementation of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) pilots around the world.

Implemented over 4 years, the study aims to identify what works in REDD+ initiatives at national and subnational levels.
Research is underway in 11 countries - Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania and Vietnam.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The Global Comparative Study on REDD+ (GCS) focuses on information gathering and knowledge sharing in three key research areas.

• Maria Brockhaus leads research on initiatives, policy processes and strategies at national level that relate to forests and climate change.
• William Sunderlin leads in-depth, intensive research on developing practices for REDD+ at 20 field sites.
• Louis Verchot leads research on establishing monitoring and reference levels for measuring carbon emission reductions.

Research GOALS

The overarching goal of GCS is to provide policy makers and practitioner communities with the relevant information, analysis and methods needed to ensure effective, cost-efficient and equitable reduction of carbon emissions as well as cobenefits - the 3E+ criteria.