SPC Land Resources Division_Climate

SPC and GTZ linked up with the FAO-SAPA office to collaborate on the integration of climate change into the Tonga national Forest Policy. The FAO had been supporting the Government of Tonga on the review of the forest policy and all parties recognised this as an opportune entry point for the integration of climate change related issues.

A comprehensive stakeholder consultation process saw the development of fourteen policy statements specifically addressing climate change. These statements attempt to mainstream those aspects of climate change that will directly impact Tonga’s forests and trees resources, and those that will affect Tonga’s ability to sustainably manage these important resources for present and future generations. Several of the new policy statements also aims to support Tonga’s contribution to global efforts to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas levels in accordance with their commitments as a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol.

The revised Tonga Forest Policy is supporting the following climate change related elements:

· climate change mitigation - conserving and building carbon stocks within forest and soil resources; participation within global mitigation programmes; promotion of renewable wood materials for construction and fuel

· climate change adaptation - promoting the use of trees in vulnerable coastal areas; promoting protection of mangrove forests; research and development into resilient trees species; technical capacity building; role of trees and forest ecosystems in food security

· awareness raising – ensuring communities understand the roles of trees in mitigating and adapting to climate change

· international assistance – seeking out international support to protect and sustainably manage Tonga’s forest resources and to support climate change mitigation and adaptation initiative.

The policy also strongly promotes the capacity development of institutions, technical officers and local communities to develop an enabling environment for the implementation.

The Forest Policy was formally endorsed by Cabinet in December 2009 and is one of the first national policies in the Pacific to specifically mainstream climate change issues.

Fiji strongly advocates REDD+ at Copenhagen Climate Summit

Friday 11 December 2009

Bella Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark - The Fiji Government is strongly advocating REDD+, that is in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Samuela Lagataki said at the UN Climate Change Conference that forestry plays an integral part of adapting climate change.

Fijis areas of broad interests as indicated under the draft Fiji REDD policy continued to be adequately covered, although we can not really get everything as we had to move forward through compromises, sustainable management of forests, forest conservation, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks are included in the proposed clean text, Mr Lagataki said.

At the UNFCCC contact group discussions some countries stated that they need to see sustainable forest management, forest conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks included under REDD+. This is a statement that Fiji strongly supports, Mr Lagataki said.

However, REDD+ received oppositions from a number of countries including Tuvalu which insisted that market mechanisms under REDD should not be recognized and the concept should not be allowed to be included in the final statement of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

But REDD+ continued to forge its way through, and finally after the removal of all the brackets from the draft texts at the drafting groups, the good news for Fiji is that REDD+ is going to be included in the final text proposal and we are happy with this,� Mr Lagataki said.

It is also good to start to see some big countries such as the US strongly supporting a legally binding agreement to come out of the Copenhagen negotiations, the quick response of big countries to come to compromises is a good sign that the outcome of Copenhagen is going to be fair to everyone.�

Dr Martin Herold, a REDD expert who carried out a preliminary assessment in Fiji, briefed the Fiji delegation on Thursday morning on the REDD preparations for Fiji. His briefing was received with interest Mr Lagataki said.

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries is moving towards including tropical forest conservation in addition to sustainable forestry practices in its Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation mechanism

Ruci Mafi reporting from the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

Bella Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark. - National strategies and policies must incorporate reforms in land tenure, forest tenure, forest monitoring and governance if schemes under the REDD+ policy are to succeed, a report stated today.

The “Realising REDD: National Strategy and Options report” which was published by the Centre for the International Forestry Research (CIFOR) went on to say that past efforts to stop forest loss have failed more than they succeeded.

“Many past efforts have failed to prevent tropical deforestation from continuing at high speed.”

“Two reasons are the failure to address the fundamental drivers, and the tendency to view the forest sector in isolation from other sectors. The current mainstream REDD+ debate has only partly taken these lessons into account and looked beyond the canopy,” the report said.

The REDD+ which means reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries is a concept which is contentious in the Pacific.

Launched at a side event on the third day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, the report cautioned governments to consider how participating countries are going to reduce emissions and increase carbon stocks that they hope to be paid for through global mechanisms.

It challenged governments to look at what new institutions, processes, policies, and projects are needed and what are some options in these areas?

An important idea which is driving REDD+ is the performance based payment system. “Such payments for environmental (or ecosystem) services (PES) has its merits: it provides strong incentives directly to forest owners and users to manage forests better and clear less forestland. PES will fully compensate carbon rights holders that find forest conservation more lucrative than the alternatives,” the report said.

The report noted that PES has its uses especially since it encourages forest owners and users to manage forests better and clear less forestland. The PES systems for forest conservation have been running for some time but there have been challenges that hindered its wide application.

The “Realising REDD: National Strategy and Options report” showed that challenges included the lack of definition of land tenure and carbon rights with many deforestation hotspots “characterized by unclear and contested rights.”

The report recommended that forest carbon be monitored regularly at the scale where payments are made and institutional and governance structures are to be established to manage payments and information, and to link local PES systems to national (or global) REDD+ systems.

REDD+ can be realised in national policies, institutions and actions on the ground and it would include new elements, in particular performance based payments at a scale that has never before been attempted.

“The international community have demonstrated strong willingness to pay for REDD+ ”

“Many developing countries are demonstrating strong willingness to tackle the problems. This match between international ‘willingness to pay’ and national ‘willingness to play’ is essential for the success of REDD+,” the report concluded.

Climate Change focus of discussions in Pacific Regional Heads of Forestry Meeting

Tuesday 29^th September 2009

‘Forests, climate change and markets’ was the theme of the Heads of Forestry meeting held in Nadi from 21 - 24 September. Indeed forests and trees are at the centre of one of the biggest global challenges.

Chief Adviser of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region, Dr Hermann Fickinger in addressing the meeting of the Pacific Regional Heads of Forestry emphasised the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Full Article Related articles

REDD policies and carbon monitoring discussed in Fiji REDD policy scoping workshop

Monday 14 September

The Fiji National REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) Policy scoping workshop concluded on 01 September 2009 with participants confirming a draft REDD Policy statement for Fiji. The Fiji National REDD Policy statement emanates from 4 days of intense discussions and deliberations on how REDD should be developed in Fiji.

Click here for workshop resource materials