Forests provide the dwelling and livelihood for over 1 billion people – including many Indigenous Peoples – as well as hosting the largest share the world's biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services, such as water and carbon storage. Deforestation and forest degradation contribute severely to climate change, currently representing about a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
REDD+ policies and finance are indispensable to mitigate climate change and set nations and communities in the path for sustainable development. REDD+ represents an innovative approach for sustainable development, offering a gateway for climate finance – a new source of finance for development, under a results-based philosophy.
The work of the UNDP Climate & Forests Team contributes to both SDG 13 and SDG 15, addressing their close linkages. When promoting forest and climate policies and investments in countries, UNDP employs a social inclusion approach, wherein effective stakeholder engagement is ensured, the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities are promoted, gender equality and women’s empowerment principles are mainstreamed, and policy reforms towards more equitable land use and tenure systems are encouraged.
Work Areas
The UNDP Climate and Forests Team supports countries with the design and implementation of national policies and measures to reduce deforestation and manage forests sustainably, hence contributing to the mitigation of climate change and advancing sustainable development. The global team supports a ~ USD 400 million portfolio of programmes across circa 30 countries.
Our Team
UNDP’s Climate and Forests Team is a global team comprised of specialists from all over the globe. We take pride in being a multicultural, international team united by our passion to offer sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.
Our Partners and Initiatives
Serving forested developing countries around the world, UNDP Climate & Forests manages or implements a diverse range of initiatives to deliver technical assistance, policy advice and quality assurance to support national and subnational REDD+ readiness, implementation, and financial mechanisms, working with multiple partners on the ground.