Volume 12 - November 2010
The aim of this e-Newsletter is to inform CBD National Focal Points and CBD partners about biodiversity aspects in relation to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD-plus). To subscribe, please visit http://www.cbd.int/forest/redd/newsletters/.
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NEWS

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted several decisions related to REDD, such as the decisions on climate change and biodiversity, and on forest biodiversity. Based on COP requests, the CBD Secretariat will, inter alia, initiate a consultation process on the application of relevant safeguards for biodiversity. The unedited text of the decisions is available at: http://www.cbd.int/nagoya/outcomes/.

More than 60 experts from 19 REDD pilot and observer countries, donor countries, international organizations, and civil society participated in a global expert workshop on biodiversity benefits of REDD. Funded by the Government of Germany, the workshop was co-organized by the CBD Secretariat and the UN REDD Programme, in Nairobi, Kenya, from 20-23 September 2010. Results are available at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-10/information/cop-10-inf-20-en.doc .

A 'webinar' on REDD biodiversity benefits was organized by the CBD Secretariat on 15 November 2010, to provide an update on recent developments in the negotiations under the UNFCCC, as well as on ways and means to enhance biodiversity benefits of REDD. Based on the strong interest, the Secretariat will offer further webinars on this topic in the near future. A recording of the session is available at: http://www.cbd.int/forest/redd/webinar/2010-11-15/.

The Ecosystems and Climate Change Pavilion, a joint outreach activity of the Rio Convention secretariats, will have a booth at UNFCCC COP 16, at Cancun Messe, and organize a range of events related to REDD and other issues, including two excursions to protected areas, and a biodiversity session at 'Forest Day' on 5 December. More: http://ecosystemspavilion.org/ and http://www.forestsclimatechange.org/ForestDay-4.html/.

Envirotrade's Sofala Community Carbon Project has been successfully validated to Plan Vivo and CCB Gold Standards. The project is the first in Southern Africa to receive this validation, and the first anywhere globally to receive CCBA Gold level validation in all three categories of Climate, Community and Biodiversity benefits. Offset credits are available from both the Agroforestry and REDD activities. More: http://www.envirotrade.co.uk/html/home.php and http://www.climate-standards.org/projects/index.html.

PUBLICATIONS

Freiburg University policy paper "Greening REDD+: Challenges and opportunities for forest biodiversity conservation"
The study builds on the results of the international expert workshop "Greening REDD+: Challenges and opportunities for forest biodiversity conservation" held in Freiburg / Germany in April 2010. It discusses important aspects regarding the adequate consideration of biodiversity aspects in the context of REDD+, identifies policy needs and provides practical options for REDD+ at different governance levels. The report is available at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/for/ewredd-01/other/ewredd-01-oth-greening-redd-en.pdf.

Multiple benefits of sustainable forest management in REDD+
Recent ecological study in Borneo revealed that the application of sustainable forest management (SFM) to a degraded production forest resulted in a net gain of 54 Mg C/ha and in restoring biological communities in 12 years, implying important roles of SFM in REDD+ in degraded tropical rain forests. This paper can be downloaded at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0008267.

The Forests Dialogue publication on REDD-plus, community and biodiversity
More than 100 stakeholders have been involved in a collaborative initiative facilitated by The Forests Dialogue (TFD) and IUCN to build an effective international mechanism for tackling the climate, community and biodiversity issues associated with deforestation. The newest publication in the TFD Review series "Investing in REDD-plus" reflects unique consensus amongst forest stakeholders across business, environmental and scientific sectors and from indigenous peoples and forest-based communities, who met in a stream of intensive dialogues in 2009. The publication is available in English, French and Spanish at: http://environment.yale.edu/tfd/.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is looking for a Post Doctoral Fellow, Global Comparative Study on REDD
Effectiveness of REDD Project Sites
Programme: Forests & Governance and Environmental Services & Sustainable Use of Forests;
Research Domain: Forests and Climate Change Mitigation.
To learn more about CIFOR, the position and how to apply, please visit: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/Careers.

Click here for more information on REDD-plus

How can you publish in this Newsletter?

Your contributions to this Newsletter on issues related to biodiversity aspects of REDD-plus are welcome. Please send your submission to [email protected]. Articles should contain no more than 60 words, and must contain a hyperlink for more information. For more information please see: http://www.cbd.int/forest/redd/newsletters/

Deadline to submit articles for the next issue: 10 January 2011.

This Newsletter is published pursuant to CBD decision IX/5. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Secretariat of the CBD.
Photo credits (from top to bottom): fra.ps, Tambako the Jaguar, Philip Powell - Envirotrade Carbon Ltd, matthewvenn