Climate Week Spotlight: Financing the Future of Our Forests

Dear UN-REDD,

In this issue, we explore the outcomes and highlights of various Regional Climate Weeks, with a specific focus on the preservation of forests. The progress made during the Climate Weeks in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean have been instrumental in identifying opportunities to scale up sustainable financial forest solutions. These opportunities include the adoption of nesting approaches that guarantee social inclusion and high-integrity carbon accounting, governance, and safeguards.

This edition closely follows an initiative in Beijing that has created a connection between urban life and forests through the collaborative efforts of UNEP and the China Green Foundation. The Forest for Life exhibit , provides an immersive experience that strengthens the connection between human and nature, aiming to inspire positive actions to protect and restore these ecosystems You will also find in this issue updates on community initiatives related to forestry in West Africa and efforts to improve gender considerations within the Voluntary Carbon Markets. Other topics covered include insights into adaptation monitoring work, and policy analysis to combat deforestation Lastly, we share the experiences of a cacao farmer in Cote d’Ivoire who embarks on agroforestry for the first time.

IN THIS ISSUE

SPOTLIGHT STORY

OTHER STORIES

REDD+ activities in Panamá: 'Scaling finance with social and environmental integrity for forests and climate'

In Panama City, Panama, October 23 to 27, the UN-REDD Programme held a series of knowledge and experience exchanges with representatives of Latin American and Caribbean countries working on REDD+. The events aimed at identifying opportunities to scale up sustainable finance for forests and climate, remove barriers, and ensure integrity in accounting, governance, and safeguards.

UNEP and China Green Foundation bring forests to cities with Forest for Life exhibit

On September 19, 2023, UNEP and China Green Foundation teamed up to unveil the Forest for Life exhibit. The immersive exhibit aims to bridge the gap between urban life and forests, rekindle people’s relationships with nature, and inspire efforts to protect and restore forests. The Forest for Life exhibit will journey to various Chinese cities over the next few months.

Fostering Change: UN-REDD’s Ongoing Efforts to Improve Gender Considerations within the Voluntary Carbon Market

In October, the UN-REDD Programme organized an online dialogue on “Fostering Change: How to improve gender considerations within the VCM,” which aimed to share awareness, build capacity, and identify options to enhance gender mainstreaming within the VCM.

A conversation with Djeneba Sawadogo, a cacao farmer in Cote d’Ivoire

An interview with Djeneba Sawadogo, a cacao farmer in Cote d'Ivoire. Discover her firsthand experience of venturing into agroforestry, the challenges she faces, and her aspirations for the future, all within the context of the FAO’s PROMIRE project aimed at sustainable cultivation and increased income for smallholders. A French version of this interview is also available.

Road to adaptation monitoring in tropical countries

The current year has witnessed an exacerbation of extreme climatic events across diverse domains, resulting in losses and damages of such magnitude that their comprehensive enumeration proves challenging. The reality of rapid warming requires that every country creates an adaptation strategy to become more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Bridging commitments and reality: Forestry Public Expenditure Review for policy coherence

For decades, the global community has actively collected efforts to reduce deforestation. While there is a growing momentum on the crucial collaborations between agriculture and forestry sectors, financing into nature, especially in the contexts of forests, remains inadequate and underreported.

West African countries chart a sustainable path forward with community-based forestry

The "Community-based Forestry in West Africa: The Way Forward" workshop held from October 17 to 19, 2023, in Somone, Senegal, brought together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders to explore the potential of community-based forestry (CbF) in addressing climate challenges, supporting sustainable development, and preserving biodiversity in the West African subregion.

Near Real-Time Monitoring: A crucial tool to tackle deforestation

Near real-time monitoring (NRTM) of deforestation is proving to be invaluable in the ongoing fight against deforestation and the preservation of global forests. NRTM systems leverage various technologies and data sources to detect disturbances quickly and accurately in forests. They use data from satellites, drones, and ground sensors to detect changes in forest cover as soon as they occur. Early detection is crucial for preventing further damage and taking swift action.

Bolstering safeguards and ensuring Free, Prior, Informed Consent: An experience from Ngo District in the Republic of the Congo

The Government of the Congo, through the Ministry of Forest Economy (MEF), with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has mobilised funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) to implement several projects in the country. The projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as diversify production systems to generate socio-economic benefits and strengthen the resilience of local populations.