GCF Task Force

Introduction

Launched in 2009, the Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force (GCFTF) has grown from ten governors in California, Brazil, and Indonesia,to 38 governors across 10 countries. Of these,  35 jurisdictions in tropical forest countries (Brazil, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru) are being supported by UNDP under an initial funding round. The GCFTF is coordinated by a Secretariat based at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and includes regional coordinators in the four main “regional” clusters: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Indonesia. 

Key Highlights

GCFTF members formalized their commitment in 2014 with the Rio Branco Declaration to reduce deforestation by 80% by 2020 through partnerships with private sector initiatives that leverage the opportunities available through jurisdictional programs, and to rapidly and effectively channel performance-based funds for the promotion of forest-based and forest-friendly economic development to producers, foresters, farmers, ranchers, indigenous peoples, local communities, and other forest stakeholders.

These commitments were further reinforced by the Balikpapan Statement in 2017. The Balikpapan Statement establishes two global committees:

1. Indigenous peoples and local communities;
2.  Agricultural production and tropical deforestation.

In 2015, the Government of Norway made a pledge of NOK 200 million (approx. USD 24 million) to the Governors' Climate and Forests (GCF) Task Force. At the 2017 Annual Meeting in Balikpapan, UNDP was selected to manage the pledge through UNDP’s Climate & Forests Team.