Non-carbon benefits of REDD+: the case for supporting non-carbon benefits in Africa

Abstract

This paper sets out to argue why NCBs from the implementation of REDD+ activities are critical to the long-term sustainability of REDD+ activities and should therefore benefit from REDD+ phase I1 and phase II2 support. The paper will also explore and propose simple guidance on the provision of information including the nature, scale and importance of NCBs from REDD+3 activities, including potential indicators of successful NCB generation. The paper differentiates between co-benefits and non-carbon benefits on the basis that the latter are a precondition for the sustainability of REDD+ while the former are opportunistic benefits (so-called “low hanging fruit”) that have not been specifically planned. The paper identifies a range of NCBs within the context of Africa. However, it is acknowledged that the type of NCBs that can be generated under REDD+ depends on the country context, the type of REDD+ program, forest type, costs and who is defining NCBs.