With an agreement on the introduction of a REDD+ mechanism in the Conference of the Parties(COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC), REDD+ is expected to be one of the important mitigation actions against greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions. However, in Korea, we lack materials and information on UNFCCC REDD+ mechanism, and so have difficulties in understanding the mechanism and negotiation transitions. Against this background, this study aims to consider the various issues discussed to construct the mechanism, forecast the negotiation results, and finally propose the ways for preparing international REDD+ mechanism.
An international REDD+ mechanism needs to include flexible instruments that provide adequate, predictable, and sustainable resources to support REDD+ actions. The national circumstances of REDD+ countries are extremely diverse and policy incentives will have to respond to different phrases in the implementation of REDD+.
Especially when it comes to international funding mechanism, there exists three approaches to meet the variety of needs of both developed and developing countries: REDD+/NAMA Register Model, COP-Mandated Model, and REDD+ Market Model. The REDD+/NAMA Register Model, which will be shown in an early stage of REDD+, includes the contents on the registration of bilateral and unilateral REDD+ actions and financial support in an internationally managed REDD+/NAMA register. The COP-Mandated Model is about the funding of REDD+ actions through a COP-mandated international fund. The REDD+ Market Model is related to the funding of REDD+ actions through approaches that account for tons of GHG reductions and are thus carbon-market compatible. As it was agreed that the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund shall be established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention including REDD+ in the COP-15, the details on an international-level REDD+ financial mechanism will be discussed actively. The discussions for the introduction of a REDD+/NAMA Register Model will be soon pushed ahead in order to promote national REDD+ actions/supports, and the issues on the Market Model are raised continuously by developed countries such as the USA.
The Korean government's ways to cope with the UNFCCC REDD+ framework will be depend on the negotiation results about the developing -nation status of Korea and the REDD+ financial mechanism model. Therefore, we need to establish REDD+ strategies for each negotiation scenario and look into the negotiation situations continuously. Also, we need to build a REDD+ countries databases to find potential REDD+ performing countries and make chances to secure forest resources for REDD+ programs.
Researchers: Hyun Deok Seok(Ph.D.), Beom Seok Yoon
Research period: 2010. 4 - 2010. 6
E-mail address: hdseok@krei.re.kr