The importance of forestry in the Paris Agreement is unique. It is the only sector with a dedicated article under the Agreement – article 5 concerning support for REDD+ in developing countries. This importance is reflected in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) developed by Asia-Pacific countries towards implementation of the Agreement; over 80% of NDCs in the region explicitly include forestry actions for climate change mitigation, adaptation or both. Four years after the Paris Agreement was ratified, countries are now in a position to review their NDCs with a view to enhancing the level of their ambition in the decade leading up to 2030, the deadline for achieving the global objectives set out at Paris. The implications of NDC commitments in the forest sector, for domestic and external investment, for policy, legislation and practice in forestry and other land use sectors, are becoming clearer and require attention in order for countries to prepare for the implementation of their NDCs.
This event will be an opportunity to review a full-day expert discussion forum held at the GCF Secretariat in Songdo, Korea on 17th June 2019 as part of the 4th Asia-Pacific Forestry Week (APFW), organised every 4 years by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. This forum brought together a group of forestry experts, from government, civil society and academia, from the Asia-Pacific region, to address a set of key questions regarding the forthcoming revision of NDCs, and the implications for the forest sector across the region. The summary of these discussions has been produced in a form of a policy brief. This side event will revisit these questions and discussions with an expert panel, including some who were involved in the Songdo event, and offer opportunities for interactive participation of visitors to the Indonesia pavilion.
Organizer: FAO