Six new nations expected to get forest funding this week

By Lisa Anderson

NEW YORK (AlertNet)—Six additional countries are slated to receive shares in a $23 million fund during a meeting this week of a global partnership focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and enhancing forest carbon stocks.

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s participants committee (FCPF), which is meeting in Washington, DC on March 19-22, works on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+).

At the meeting, Chile, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Suriname, Thailand and Vanuatu are expected to be approved to share in an aggregate amount of $23 million to support national REDD+ readiness programs, aimed at preparing forest countries to be part of REDD+ programmes.

The partnership currently comprises 36 REDD country participants and 18 financial contributors--including 15 donor countries, 2 private sector companies and one NGO—with total funding of $648 million.

At the meeting the participants committee also is expected to adopt the Emission Reductions Payment Agreement terms sheet, laying out the groundwork for the general conditions of the FCPF Carbon Fund.

At a meeting last week of the Carbon Fund, participants approved the inclusion of the first emission reduction program idea note at national scale with a maximum contract value of up to $63 million in the fund’s pipeline.