Communities « Making Copenhagen count

Forest Day 3

13/12/2009 at 4:23 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Communities, COP15, Forest Day, Forests, Livelihoods, REDD, Taskforce, Temperate forests, Tropical forests

FFI attends Forest Day 3….

Forest Day 3

Forest Day 3 is hosted by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests. It is the third in a series of days dedicated to keeping forests high on the climate change agenda, something that FFI also believes very important.

The first Forest Day, 2007 in Bali, informed the inclusion of forests in the Bali Action Plan. Last year in Poznan, at Forest Day 2, key stakeholders agreed that including forests in the global climate protection regime was urgent and that is was of upmost importance to manage forest for livelihoods, biodiversity and carbon storage.

This year Forest Day is dedicated to ensuring the design and implementation of forest-related climate measures are climate- and cost-effective with equitable impacts and co-benefits.

Forest Day is a critical event for FFI during COP15 as forests, forest management and REDD are key aspects of our work. We work to conserve significant areas of tropical and temperate forest habitat and the rich assemblages of animals and plants that they harbour.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation, the social impacts of REDD, degradation and biodiversity are just some of the topics to be discussed at Forest Day 3.

Check back later to get an update of the day from Natasha Calderwood from the FFI-Macquarie Taskforce.

The social impacts of REDD are discussed at Forest Day 3

FFI’s Community Specialist on COP15

12/12/2009 at 2:34 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Communities, COP15, REDD, Taskforce

FFI’s Community Specialist, FFI-Macquarie Taskforce, Julie Fischer shares her thoughts on her time at COP15.

Julie talks about her time at COP15

“I’ve found the most useful aspect has been meeting with government representatives and REDD project proponents” Julie explains.

The COP15 side events on REDD have largly focused on what has been learnt so far but at this stage many people are waiting to hear about outcomes from REDD, if it is going to become a compliance market and the future direction.

“There has been a big build up during 2009 and there are high hopes for setting the direction for REDD”

After attending many presentations and discussions given by various countries and governments, I asked Julie if she saw FFI as a frontrunner in REDD initiatives.

“I do” she said “being on the ground puts us ahead of other projects still in discussions”

In June 2008 FFI entered into collaboration with Macquarie Group to develop a taskforce to invest in the management of tropical forests and generate carbon credits for sale, in partnership with governments and local communities. Between June 2008 and June 2011, the collaboration expects to support the protection of six forests at risk from deforestation in South East Asia, South America and Africa.

“So were really are at the forefront in terms of REDD and that’s exciting!”

But Julie explains because of this it can be hard to find out about lessons learnt through other projects and capture real concrete advice for our REDD initiatives and lean about mistakes not to make.

Attending events like COP15 gives FFI the opportunity to share information and learn from other’s experiences.

More later on Julie’s exciting social impact assessment project!

Community Carbon @ COP15

12/12/2009 at 7:32 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Carbon, Communities, COP15, Forests, Indonesia, REDD, Taskforce

FFI is the only NGO piloting a community carbon pool project in Indonesia. We talk to Frank Momberg and Dewi Rizki about this pioneering project and find out how projects like these can help local communities.

“The project is based on community rights and developing a benefit mechanism directly for communities for future REDD credits,” Frank explains.

“REDD projects are very complex so for communities to develop initiatives, to gain future carbon credits for their efforts to protect the forest, is difficult,”

FFI brings different communities together to share the community carbon pool, which lowers transaction costs and potential for revenue increases.

“We aim to help raise awareness of REDD at the community level and share information and training, which hopefully results in communities conducting their own carbon inventories and monitoring their own system,” he said.

The FFI project plans to help build capacity of local community partners and engage with the government to provide legal and political support that is required for a community carbon pool project.

Dewi Rizki and Frank Momberg talk to FFI Communications Manager Helen Pitman

“We are well on track with the pilot project and hope to expand to more villages, upscale these efforts and influence the national policy dialog on community rights to carbon and play a role in mitigating climate change” Frank said.

Dewi coordinates REDD projects in Indonesia as part of our collaboration with Macquarie Group.

“The benefits of coming to events such as COP15 is learning from other countries like Brazil and Panama about their REDD projects”

After discussing Indonesia’s REDD projects in the global arena she is pleased to find out Indonesia is on the right track with their REDD projects.

FFI Indonesia @ COP15

11/12/2009 at 8:20 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Communities, COP15, Indonesia, REDD

We managed to catch-up with FFI’s Frank Momberg and Dewi Rizki as they dashed from one meeting to another to find out why FFI Indonesia was at COP15.

Frank Momberg talks to an indonesian delegate

Frank talks to Indonesian delegates

Frank explained that there were a number of reasons the team was here. Our FFI Indonesia Country Programme Director, Darmawan Liswanto, was invited by the Government of Indonesia to be part of the official party delegation. Damrawan will provide technical assistance to the Indonesian Government and help with the development of negotiation text for REDD.

He said FFI was very keen to make sure there are safeguards for Indigenous peoples and biodiversity included in the agenda. FFI has always believed that local livelihoods and biodiversity should benefit from any REDD project.

A key reason for the FFI Indonesian team being at COP15 is the fantastic opportunity for them to exchange information, gain knowledge and learn new information about REDD and REDD+.

REDD+ methodology and development is moving towards not only avoided deforestation and degradation of forests but also sequestration of carbon in ecosystems. This will result in ecosystems having an adaptation function for climate change as well as a mitigation role.

“We have had the chance to meet with our partner and donor organisations here,” Frank said.

“Meeting with other NGOs that share similar objectives is very valuable,”

“Because the REDD challenges are complex, requiring expertise of various kinds, it is ideal to form partnerships where FFI can collaborate and contribute our expertise in conservation.”

COP15 also provides an opportunity for our team to meet with governments. Today the Government of Indonesia held a meeting to discuss their experiences from REDD. Indonesia is moving ahead on developing a national REDD strategy and baseline scenarios and initiating pilot projects.

“We are working closely with local, provincial and the national government in Indonesia to develop our pilot projects as well” Frank said.

We’ll meet up again with Frank and Dewi later to discuss their new community carbon pool pilot project.