UN-REDD Programme approved 18 million dollars to reduce emissions

A United Nations programme aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forests and boosting livelihoods in tropical nations has approved $18 million in support of five pilot countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The UN-Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (UN-REDD) - a collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme - promises to be an important component of a future agreement on climate change to be agreed under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December this at crucial meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The $18 million-worth of funding, roughly a third of the sums currently available, has been approved by inaugural Policy Board meeting of Programme which met in Panama. The funding will support action plans to assist the countries concerned prepare for the inclusion of REDD in a new climate deal.

During the high level Policy Board meeting, senior government representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Viet Nam, presented their plans for preparing national strategies for a future REDD regime.

The presentation of the national programmes served as valuable learning and sharing experiences among participants on the way forward.

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Source: UNEP