Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) 
 


Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

 

Initiative for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

This initiative was launched on December 11, 2007 in Bali by the World Bank to address the largest overlooked contributor to climate change — the destruction of forests.

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is designed to set the stage for a large-scale system of incentives for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, providing a fresh source of financing for the sustainable use of forest resources and biodiversity conservation, and for the more than 1.2 billion people who depend to varying degrees on forests for their livelihoods.

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility will build the capacity of developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to tap into any future system of positive incentives for REDD. In some of these countries, the FCPF will also help reduce the rate of deforestation and forest degradation by providing an incentive per ton of carbon dioxide of emissions reduced through specific Emission Reductions Programs targeting the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.

Two mechanisms
The FCPF consists of two separate mechanisms, each with its own trust fund for which the World Bank will act as Trustee:
Readiness Mechanism will assist approximately 20 developing tropical and sub-tropical countries in preparing themselves to participate in a future, large-scale, system of positive incentives for REDD.

Carbon Finance Mechanism. A few countries that will have successfully participated in the Readiness Mechanism may be selected, on a voluntary basis, to participate in the Carbon Finance Mechanism, through which the FCPF will pilot incentive payments for REDD policies and measures in approximately five developing countries.

Swiss Contribution to the FCPF

With a contribution of CHF 8.75 Mio (USD 7 Mio) to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank, the SECO strengthens its international commitment in the promotion of innovative trade mechanisms to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development in developing countries.

This commitment is complementary to other activities and financial contributions to other funds in the field of climate change. With this contribution, SECO consolidates its profile as pioneer in the development of new approaches in the areas of "carbon finance" and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). In addition to the financial participation, Switzerland provides technical expertise to the FCPF for the implementation of its activities aimed at building the capacities of selected developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to tap into a future system of positive incentives for REDD.

 

Birchmeier D. 2008: Das Engagement des SECO in der Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) der Weltbank, presentation of the 19th of May 2008, SECO

Birchmeier D. 2008: Klima und Tropenwald in der internationalen Zusammenarbeit des SECO, presentation of the 19th of May 2008, SECO

Guex F. S.; Meuwly D. 2008: Klimastrategie der Weltbank: Eine Chance für Schweizer Know-how, Spotlight, SECO.

SECO, 2007: Die Schweiz beteiligt sich mit gut acht Millionen Franken an neuem Klimafonds zur Erhaltung des Tropenwaldes, Press Releases.

 

UN-REDD initiative und FCPF Meeting in Switzerland

The 3rd meeting of the Participants Committee of FCFP took place in Montreux between 16-18 June 2009, right after a two-day meeting of the UN-REDD initiative.

The first two of three Readiness Plans have been accepted. Panama and Guyana are the first to benefit from World Bank official grant in order to implement their REDD-Plans. The Readiness Plans and useful information are open to the public on the website of forest carbon partnership

The discussion about the 3 Readiness Plans Panama, Guyana and Indonesia raised many issues like land tenure, consultation and consensus procedure with indigenous people and marginalized groups, compensatory measures, definition and measurement of baselines, integration of Carbon values (Biodiversity, sustainable forest management, etc). NGO and indigenous peoples representatives demanded clear governance safeguards, which should apply equally to all countries, and the private sector and provide simple and clear rules and procedures.
More information

A special Dialogue session was scheduled on Friday morning, 19 June. The objective of this dialogue was to inform about advancement on REDD and the FCPF and exchange information between interested European and Swiss stakeholders, the FCPF Secretariat and selected FCPF participant country representatives and on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the advancement of the FCPF Partnership of the World Bank. Representatives from the Society for Threatened Peoples, Bruno-Manser-Fonds, Helvetas, WWF International, the Swiss College of Agriculture SHL in Zollikofen, the ETHZ, the FOEN, SDC, private sector, and SECO participated in this half day of presentations and discussions. The debate came across an intense interest.

 

More Information

Publication

Anita Gordon; Bosquet B.; Aquino A.R. 2007: The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility: A facility for piloting activities to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, Carbon Finance Unit, The World Bank, Washington. [English, Français]

 

Internet pages

The World Bank Carbon Finance Unit

The World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

UN-REDD Programme