Results based payments and REDD+ safeguards: Challenges for demonstrating and verifying the social and environmental integrity of Verified Emission Reductions at jurisdictional scale Billions of dollars of results-based financing for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) at jurisdictional and project scales are expected to be delivered over the next 5 years through voluntary carbon markets or results-based payments (RBP) schemes such as the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund ($700m committed to 15 countries), the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) REDD+ Results-based Payments Pilot Programme ($500m already transferred to GCF Accredited Entities for 8 countries), and Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF) Coalition ($1bn pledged, 5 signed Letters of Intent, and 30 applicants to date). However, jurisdictions face challenges on multiple fronts in order to access market and non-market results-based finance for REDD+. One key challenge is being to demonstrate conformance with REDD safeguard requirements. For over a decade we have worked to identify and address the challenges faced by jurisdictions in conforming with REDD safeguards and also with standard bodies, funds and donors on the challenges of verifying conformance.

The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery is interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners.  The views, opinions and positions expressed within this lecture are those of the author alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, or its researchers.