PNG National REDD+ Strategy 2017-2027 PDF

Government of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 2017 - 2027 Healthy forest. Strong nation. Better world. ...

Government of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 2017 - 2027 Healthy forest. Strong nation. Better world.  Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 2017 - 2027 ©2017 Government of Papua New Guinea, Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) ISBN 978-9980-89-890 This publication was produced by the Government of Papua New Guinea through the Climate Change and Development Authority with financial support of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ Readiness Project in Papua New Guinea where United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) serves as Delivery Partner. The Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy was endorsed by the Government of Papua New Guinea on 5th May 2017, decision number 126/2017. Government of Papua New Guinea, 2017. Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy for the period 2017-2027, Papua New Guinea. Photography: ©UNDP PNG Country Office, ©UNDP/V. Kerton, ©UNDP/N. Turner. Cover image: ©UNDP/V. Kerton Design and layout: UNDP/FCPF REDD+ Readiness project Climate Change Development Authority Postal address: PO Box 4017, Boroko, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea Street address: Annex Avara Building, Corner of Hunter & Brampton Street, Downtown, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.ccda.gov.pg Foreword Right Honourable Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP Prime Minister An open and modern government must lead its country in a way that acknowledges its global responsibilities while also ensuring the security, prosperity and equality of its people. The challenges of achieving these responsibilities have never been so pressing. Access to international markets and trade have seen our country develop rapidly in many areas and provided prosperity to many communities, but have also created challenges in how we protect our environment and manage our rich diversity of natural resources. Similarly, the global challenges brought on by climate change - created far from our shores – are now impacting our rural communities through changes in weather patterns and rising sea levels. We must therefore rise to this challenge by adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change in ways that continue to support our national prosperity while recognising the importance of global action and the need to protect and support our communities. Our founding fathers recognised the need to adopt an integrated approach to development that considers the environmental, social and economic needs. Our constitution clearly sets out the objectives of: Integral human development 
 Equality and participation of all 
 Enhancement of national sovereignty and self-reliance 
 Responsible management and use of natural resources for environmental sustainability, and Sharing of resources in Papua New Guinean ways for the benefit of clans, tribes and communities rather than for individual benefit. Successive governments have made progress towards these objectives. In October 2009, the launch of Vision 2050 brought together the national vision for sustainable development to align our people, institutions and systems to create a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society. This vision stresses the importance of engaging our local communities in building a strategy for sustainable development for all. This approach was translated into a subsequent Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030 (DSP) that included more specific programmes and targets, and a more detailed Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP). As we approached our 40 th year as an independent nation in 2015, my government reflected on the need to go further: to ensure a more strategic and responsible approach to development. ii Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy This process led to the development of the National Strategy on Responsible and Sustainable Development (StaRS), coordinated by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring. StaRS commits PNG to an alternative mode of development; one that can generate growth and improvements in people’s lives in ways that are consistent with the principles of sustainable development. It endeavors to promote a triple bottom line: sustaining and advancing economic growth, promotion of responsible stewardship of the environment, and promotion of social well-being. PNG must focus on its strategic assets, of which seven are identified in the StaRS including our forests and biodiversity; our fresh water reserves; our rich cultural and eco-tourism potential and the rich organic agriculture of the country. In this context, forests are recognised as both a strategic asset and a provider of the environment on which many of our other assets depend. StaRS led to the development of a new Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) which refocused our development priorities, increasing emphasis on a sustainable and responsible approach to development including efforts to address climate change and make sustainable use of our natural resource base. My government has taken these commitments seriously and we have worked through the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change to pass new legislation and set clear policy directions, including the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority Act, the Protected Areas Policy, the Climate Change Management Act (2015), and the Paris Agreement (Implementation) Act (2016) that will support our transition towards green growth. The National REDD+ Strategy marks another key step in this process and I congratulate the Climate Change and Development Authority in their work to develop this strategy and bring together the different branches of government in this process. The cabinet has fully endorsed the strategy and our government departments are working to integrate its goals within their work and budgeting for the coming years. Right Honourable Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP Prime Minister Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy iii  Preface Right Honourable John Pundari MBA, CMG, MP Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change As the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change the diversity, value and importance of our natural environment never ceases to impress me. Yet the level of threats that our unique and fragile ecosystems are facing has also not ceased to concern me. It is for this reason that I, and my officers, work tirelessly to ensure that we can have development while maintaining and preserving our strategic natural assets. The National REDD+ Strategy provides us with an opportunity to achieve this through linking our national development and environmental priorities with international action on climate change to achieve progress that supports our communities, our nation and our planet. Our nation is one of the most naturally rich and diverse of any in the world, containing a remarkable 5% of the world’s biodiversity in just 1% of its area. Our forests, in particular, are some of the most extensive and are highly diverse and rich in biodiversity. Our lowland forests have been ranked among the world’s most ecologically distinctive forest regions1 and our montane forests are globally significant for their regional scarcity and levels of endemicity2. Collectively the country’s forests contain 191 species of mammal (of which over 80% are endemic), 750 bird species (of which over 50% are endemic), 300 species of reptile and 197 species of amphibian 3. This rich natural resource base has been at the centre of our culture and economy for generations. Communities have relied on the wealth of nature on their land to generate their livelihoods and develop, with the importance of the natural world reflected in many of our diverse cultures. These relationships, however, are being challenged with increasing population and the transition of the economy into a more global and cash based system. Extensive logging that has occurred since the 1970s has impacted huge areas of forests, while the expansion of mining and natural gas developments as well as urban areas is putting increasing pressure on our natural resources. The unsustainable management of our natural wealth is already having ramifications at the local, national and global scale. At the local level, I have visited many communities for whom the unsustainable harvesting of forests from their land has left them with polluted water sources, an increase of landslides and flooding and a loss of access to bush meat and traditional medicines, while delivering few of the economic or social benefits they had hoped for. Poorly managed mine developments have resulted in the wholesale destruction of entire watercourses, poisoning wildlife and the surrounding forest, and endangering the communities that had relied on the river’s bounty. These impacts collectively damage our national environment and long-term development, with the unsustainable harvesting of resources a theft from our children who will no longer be able to rely on their wealth and the protection our natural resources provide. At the international scale our forests influence the weather patterns of surrounding countries helping to bring rain and regulate temperatures4 , while the carbon they absorb and store are critical to global efforts to address climate change. The challenges of environmental degradation are now more pressing than ever as they are being exacerbated by a threat that has its origins far from our shores. Human induced climate change has been recognised as one of the most significant challenges facing our planet and its impacts will be felt iv Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy most heavily in countries such as PNG. A changing climate will cause changes in weather patterns, more violent storms and rising sea levels threating our farmers, our infrastructure and the very development of our country. It is for this reason that as minister I have worked extensively at the international level to ensure that a global agreement on climate change exists, that it recognises the threats being faced by our nation and that developing nations must be supported by the countries that are most responsible for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are causing climate change. Based on this commitment, this government has been at the forefront of international climate change negotiations and action. PNG was one of the first countries to propose that developing countries with high levels of forest cover should be recognised and supported for their efforts to maintain them. This idea was presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2005 and over the past 12 years we have worked with our global partners to further expand the proposal. This work came to a culmination at the Conference of the Parties in Paris in 2015 when myself and delegates from PNG, along with other forested developing countries, negotiated through the night and held firm against international pressure, to ensure that a financing mechanism for developing countries was in place to support their efforts to reduce emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). This mechanism, enshrined in the Paris Agreement under Article 5, provides a critical opportunity for PNG in our efforts to conserve and manage our environment as part of a green development pathway. The National REDD+ Strategy is the central tool in capturing this opportunity. It recognises that if we are to respond to the challenges of development and climate change we must take action, not just through individual projects or specific climate change activities but through a transformational change in the way our country approaches development and the use of its land and forests. This approach has been fundamental to the work of my ministry and is guided by the goal of a low emission green growth trajectory and climate compatible-development that was introduced through our Climate Compatible Development Policy in 2014, and that forms a core element of the National Strategy for Responsible and Sustainable Development (StaRS). My ministry has led this work and for several years we have worked to build the institutional capacity and legislative framework to address climate change and create the transformational change required across sectors. The Climate Compatible Development Policy of 2014 sets our nation’s direction towards a robust and sustainable low-carbon economy. It is operationalized through the Climate Change Management Act of 2015, which provided the basis for the transition of the Office of Climate Change and Development (OCCD) to the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and has formalised mechanisms to support cross-sector coordination on climate change and the management of climate finance. These reforms have also been supported by changes to the national environmental Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy v legislation including the Conservation and Environmental Protection Administration Act and the Protected Areas Policy. The National REDD+ Strategy sits within this international and national framework of action and will directly contribute to PNG’s progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals will form the basis of PNG’s upcoming Medium Term Development Plan in line with those laid out in the Vision 2050 and the StaRS. In particular our work on REDD+ will help us to achieve goals on Climate Action (SDG13) and Life on Land (SDG15). The development of the National REDD+ Strategy has been led by the CCDA in collaboration and on- going consultation with key sector agencies including the PNG Forest Authority, the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, and the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority, Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs, Department of Justice and Attorney General as well as stakeholders within the private sector and civil society. This cross-sectoral approach has ensured that the Strategy recognises the central role that forests have played in both the commercial and subsistence economies of the country and that they will need to continue to be utilised – and in places transformed – if PNG is to continue to develop. As such the National REDD+ Strategy does not seek to stop the utilisation of forests or the development of investments within the agriculture or land use sector. Rather it sets out an approach to work with and through different sectors to help strengthen their management and decision making related to forests and land use to ensure that the environment is considered as part of the triple bottom line in PNG’s development. In this way the strategy intends to not only reduce carbon emissions from the forest and land use sector, which accounts for 90% of PNG’s emissions, but to both conserve our unique levels of biodiversity and to bring tangible benefits to communities living across the country who work to protect, manage and sustainably utilise their forests. As the Minister responsible for environment, conservation and climate change, I am extremely proud to present this strategy, which has the potential to provide real benefits to our communities, our environment and our nation while also supporting the global fight against climate change. I urge all relevant government agencies, the private sector and civil society groups to see this strategy not as an achievement in itself but as the beginning of the next phase of our work. We must bring together our existing sector skills and experience, while also accessing climate finance and technical support to ensure we can achieve the transformation change that our nation needs and that our people and the environment deserve. Right Honourable John Pundari MBA, CMG, MP Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change 1. Olsen and Dinerstein (1998), Brooks et al 2006, Bryan et al (1997) quoted in Sherman P, Bryan J, Ash J, Hunnam P, Makey B, and Lokes B (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea. Mapping the extent and condition of forest cover and measuring the drivers of forest change in the period 1972-2002. UPNG 2008 2. Sherman et al (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea 3. Shekran and Miller (1994) quoted in Sherman P, Bryan J, Ash J, Hunnam P, Makey B, and Lokes B (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea. Mapping the extent and condition of forest cover and measuring the drivers of forest change in the period 1972-2002. UPNG 2008 4. Bryan, J.E., Shearman, P.L. (Eds). 2015. The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea 2014: Measuring change over the period 2002-2014. University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. vi Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy vii Introduction Mr Ruel Yamuna Managing Director, Climate Change and Development Authority Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our generation. Global temperatures have risen steadily as a result of rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, notably carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). These increases in GHG emissions have been driven by human activities with industrial processes, the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests contributing to these rises. Globally these impacts will be significant and without action will be catastrophic to the way we live by changing the very environmental conditions in which we, and the agricultural, hydrological and cultural systems we rely on, have evolved. Some of these impacts are already being felt in PNG. Average temperatures have increased by 0.6 0 C over the past 60 years and could rise by 1 0 C from 1990 by 2030, while sea level could increase by 1.5cm over the same time period 5. These changes will be accompanied by increases in extreme weather patterns and acute events such as an increase in extremely hot days, more intense periods of rainfall and more severe cyclones 6. These changing conditions will increase the severity and frequency of landslides, flooding events and extreme droughts, damaging the infrastructure on which our economy relies and the subsistence agriculture central to the livelihoods and food security of more than 80% of our population. The Climate Change and Development Authority’s (CCDA) mandate, as provided through the Climate Change (Management) Act (2015), is to spearhead our nation’s response to these challenges. This requires action across two spheres: 1) support to our communities to adapt to and thrive within a changing climate, and 2) work to mitigate climate change through reducing the levels of GHG that our nation produces. Our work in these areas is guided both by international agreements on climate change such as the Paris Agreement and our national development goals and objectives. The mechanism on reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), which is now enshrined in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will allow PNG to receive financial support from the international community for the sustainable management of its forests. By implementing REDD+ PNG will contribute to global efforts to address climate change and stand to gain international finance that can be used to strengthen our national development agenda. As such, REDD+ is a true representation of the concepts of climate- compatible development, as laid out in our policy. As Managing Director of the CCDA it has been my pleasure to lead the development of this National REDD+ Strategy and to be able to build on the excellent work conducted by my predecessors in the Office of Climate Change and Development. It has also been a privilege to work closely with other key government agencies including the PNG Forest Authority, the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority and the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, as well as key stakeholders in civil society and the private sector in its development. This work has been supported by a number of development partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through funding from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership viii Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy Facility (FCPF) and the UN-REDD Programme the latter of which was implemented in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Support has also been provided by the Government of Australia, the Government of Italy, the European Union (EU), The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbei (GIZ), The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CFRN) as well as other partners that has been critical to the development of REDD+ in PNG. It is also important to highlight that the National REDD+ Strategy is not about taking over the work of specialist government agencies, the private sector or civil society but the mainstreaming of key concepts of environment and climate change within their work. This will help all sectors and stakeholders to come together and work towards unified set objectives that both help us achieve our development objectives and address the challenges of climate change. The Strategy also recognises that many of the challenges facing our nation and impacting our environment must be addressed by different branches of government and from multiple angles, and so acknowledges the importance of key policies and initiatives such as the Population Policy and the government’s work on small and medium enterprise development and on education. REDD+ under the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC which is legally applicable domestically within the UN Paris Agreement (Implementation) Act (2016) is an important opportunity for PNG, and the National REDD+ Strategy provides us with a guide to seize that opportunity. In this way, it should not be seen as an achievement in itself but the start of the journey and we must now commit to work towards the goals that we have agreed on. As an institution CCDA will continue to work with our partners to identify and support specific actions that will be taken forward and to facilitate access to national and international support for REDD+ implementation so that all key stakeholders can see tangible benefits from the implementation of REDD+ in PNG. It is thus with great pleasure that I present to you the National REDD+ Strategy and I look forward to working with you through its implementation. Mr Ruel Yamuna Managing Director, Climate Change and Development Authority 5 International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, Pacific Climate Change Science Program (2011)– Current and Future climate of Papua New Guinea. Available at http://www.pacificclimatechangescience.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/14_PCCSP_PNG_8pp.pdf 6 Ibid Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy ix  Table of Contents Foreword ii Preface iv Introduction viii Table of Contents x Table of Acronyms xii Section 1: PNG, Climate Change and REDD+ 2 1.1 PNG’s National Development Planning Framework – A move towards sustainability 5 1.1.1 Climate Change within the cross sector development planning 7 1.1.2 The opportunity of REDD+ 8 1.2 PNG’s Forests and Drivers of Forest Cover Change 9 1.2.1 Drivers of Forest Cover Change 10 1.3 REDD+ in PNG 13 Section 2: PNG’s Vision and Approach to REDD+ 18 2.1 PNG’s Vision For REDD+ 19 2.2 PNG’s Approach to REDD+ 21 2.2.1 National REDD+ Strategy’s Structure 23 x Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 2.3 Component 1: REDD+ Actions - Policies and Measures 24 2.3.1 Action Area: Strengthened land-use and development planning 26 2.3.2 Strengthened environmental management, enforcement and protection 29 2.3.3 Enhanced economic productivity and sustainable livelihoods 32 2.4 Component 2: REDD+ Coordination and Reporting 34 2.4.1 National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) - Coordination and Reporting of Actions on REDD+ 34 2.4.2 Forest Reference Level (FRL) 36 2.4.3 National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) 39 2.4.4 Safeguards Information System (SIS) 41 2.5 Financing REDD+ 43 2.5.1 Ensuring Adequate Investment to Achieve REDD+ 43 2.5.2 Management of Results Based Payments 44 2.6 The Way Forward 45 2.6.1 Step 1: Investment Planning and Preparation for testing of PAMs – 2017-2018 45 2.6.2 Step 2: Early Implementation 2018-2020 45 2.6.3 Step 3: Submission of updated FRL and review of achievements - 2020 45 2.6.4 Step 4: Scaling up of PAM activities – 2020 onwards 45 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy xi  Table of Acronyms CC Climate Change CCDA Climate Change Development Authority CCDMP Climate Compatible Development Management Policy CEPA Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority CMMA Climate Change Management Act (2015) COP Conference of the Parties DAL Department of Agriculture and Livestock DLPP Department of Lands and Physical Planning DNA Designated National Authority DNPM Department of National Planning and Monitoring EU European Union FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FRIMS Forest Resource Inventory Mapping System FRL Forest Reference Level GCF Green Climate Fund GDP Gross Domestic Product GHG Greenhouse Gases GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Corporation for International Cooperation) GoPNG Government of Papua New Guniea HDI Human Development Index INDC Intended National Determined Contributions JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency LCoP Logging Code of Practice MRV Measure report and verify xii Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy MTDP Medium Term Development Plan NDC Nationally Determined Contribution NFI National Forest Inventory NFMS National Forest Monitoring System NRS National REDD+ Strategy NRSC National REDD+ Steering Committee NS/AP A National REDD+ Strategy or Action Plan OCCD Office of Climate Change and Development OCCES Office of Climate Change and Environment Sustainability PAM Policies and Measures PMCP Planning Monitoring and Control procedures for natural forest logging operations PNG Papua New Guniea PNGFA Papua New Guinea Forest Authority PNGPMRA PNG Planning and Monitoring Responsibility Act RBP Results-based payments REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation, forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks RFIP REDD+ Finance and Investment Plan SABL Special Agricultural Business Leases SIS Safeguards Information System SME Small and medium enterprise StaRS National Strategy for Responsible and Sustainable Development TWC Technical Working Committee UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy xiii 1 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy  SECTION 1 PNG, Climate Change and REDD+ Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 2 Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) has been one of Over 85% of the nation’s 7.3m population are based in rural areas and rely primarily the fastest growing economies globally this on subsistence agriculture for survival century with average growth rates above 6%7. and have limited access to health centres, This rapid growth has been driven primarily by education or broader development the expansion of foreign investment within the opportunities. Falling commodity prices since 2012 have also left the country natural gas sector and high prices for PNG’s facing significant economic challenges central exports many of which are transported despite ongoing growth. to rapidly growing Asian economies. This PNG’s extraordinary geographical, growth has built on a long history of natural ecological and human diversity make resources being at the centre of the PNG it one of the most unique countries in economy with exports and employment the world. Such diversity, however, also dominated by mining, natural gas, logging presents significant difficulties for the provision of government services and and agriculture. While this rapid growth has development of a robust and integrated delivered significant changes in PNG’s main economy. Rural infrastructure is limited, urban areas and those communities benefiting with its development and maintenance directly by foreign investment, the country hampered by the rugged terrain and difficult climatic conditions, with still faces significant challenges in meeting seasonal rains often causing flooding and the objectives of Vision 2050 and in providing landslips. Low levels of education across development opportunities for all while also the country (with only 50% literacy rates 8 ) also make provision of services maintaining its natural environment. and development of different economic opportunities difficult. High levels of customary land ownership (over 97% of the country’s land area) while critical to the social and cultural fabric of PNG as well as providing a key economic and social safety net also present challenges to attracting international investment unfamiliar with such systems. This context has allowed the development of a highly imbalanced economy with a small percentage of the population leading a high cost urban lifestyle while the majority remain within a rural subsistence lifestyle. It has also significantly hampered the diversification and development of the economy beyond the extraction of raw materials and agricultural products. Papua New Guinea With a rapidly growing population (3.1% per annum) the current business Indonesia as usual approach to development will become increasingly unsustainable as demand for resources in rural areas puts increasing pressure on the environment and large-scale investments risk creating Soloman Islands further imbalances between those who benefit and those who do not. Many of these challenges are set to worsen due to climate change. Existing predictions indicate that the country will see temperatures increase by 1 0 C from Australia 1990 by 2030, while sea level could rise by 1.5cm over the same time period 9. 3 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy These changes will be accompanied by more estimates within the country’s Forest Reference extreme weather patterns and acute events such Level (FRL) 12 however, indicate that emissions as a rise in the number of extremely hot days, from this sector could be three times that of more intense periods of rainfall and more severe those from the energy sector including LNG and cyclones10. These changing conditions will natural gas production 13. increase the severity and frequency of landslides, flooding events and extreme droughts, damaging If PNG is thus to take action to not only increase the infrastructure on which our economy relies the sustainability of its development but also and the subsistence agriculture central to the support global efforts to address CC the country livelihoods and food security of more than 80% must address emissions from the forest and land of the population. use sector. The National REDD+ Strategy provides the strategic direction and overall framework to These challenges come despite PNG having very achieve this within the broader context of PNG’s low levels of national greenhouse gas (GHG) national development objectives and goals for emissions, equating to less than a 0.1% of global climate compatible development. emissions when the agriculture forestry and other land use sectors are discounted 11. Recent 7 World Bank Data. Available at http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=PG 8 UNDP Country information available at: http://www.pg.undp.org/content/papua_new_guinea/en/home/countryinfo.html 9 International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, Pacific Climate Change Science Program (2011)– Current and Future climate of Papua New Guinea. Available at http://www.pacificclimatechangescience.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/14_PCCSP_PNG_8pp.pdf 10 Ibid 11 “Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) Version 2.0. (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2014)”. World Resources Institute. 12 A Forest Reference Level (FRL) provides information on historical levels of GHG emissions and removals from the forest sector as well as estimates of future trends. Further information is provided in 2.4.2 Forest Reference Emission Level and Annex 1. 13 Figures based on review of GoPNG draft FRL and PNG’s Nationally Determined Contribution submitted to the UNFCCC. Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 4 SECTION 1.1 PNG’s National Development Planning Framework – A move towards sustainability The constitution, adopted on independence Equity and citizen participation are also low with in 1975, provides the basis for all policy and income concentrated within a small percentage legislation in PNG and sets clear objectives14 of: of the population, and rural communities excluded from many elements of government Integral human development 
 decision making despite efforts to decentralize Equality and participation of all 
 government action and improve effectiveness. Enhancement of national sovereignty and The economy also remains vulnerable to self-reliance changes in commodity prices despite rapid growth over the past decade. Falling global Responsible management and use of natural commodity prices have put significant pressure resources for environmental sustainability, and on the government budget with the deficit running at progressively high levels (over 7% Sharing of resources in Papua New Guinean of GDP in 2014). Low levels of agricultural ways for the benefit of clans, tribes and productivity and difficulties in accessing communities rather than for individual benefit. These objectives have been interpreted through successive development strategies, the most Box 1 recent of which is Vision 2050. Developed in 2009 this seeks to transform PNG’s society What is Responsible Development? and nation by reforming the country into a Responsible development means we don’t smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society, undertake activities that compromise the that engages communities in the process of world’s biodiversity or puts our children’s building sustainable development for all. The futures at risk. strategy also identifies seven strategic areas for action to achieve this of which Environmental National Strategy for Responsible and sustainable Development Sustainability and Climate Change is one area. This vision has been translated into more direct goals and indicators within the country’s Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030 and Box 2 successive Medium Term Development Plans (MTDPs) that provided more specific targets and The StaRS also elevates the significance priorities to guide sector development plans and of certain natural assets due to their global significance and importance to the domestic annual budgets. economy – these are referred to as PNG’s The need for this vision and its further Strategic Assets. development came from the recognition that the They include: rapid economic growth of the beginning of the 21st century had not translated into the broad, Forests and biodiversity; 
 sustainable and equitable development that Tuna and marine resources; 
 PNG’s founders had envisaged. Fresh water reserves; 
 In terms of Integral Human development, the Rich cultural and eco-tourism offered by country’s Human Development Index (HDI) 15 the authentic rural communities of the ranking remains low, at 158th out of 186 countries country; in 2015 - identifying it as one of the 30 least Rich mineral deposits; 
 developed countries in the world. Rich organic agriculture of the country; and Clean renewable energy potential of the country 5 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy markets have also led to PNG being both a high building a forestry and biodiversity sector that is cost economy for food within urban areas and environmentally sustainable and profitable and a food insecure country vulnerable to extreme maintaining levels of forest cover16. weather and crop disease within rural areas. A new MTDP is currently under development The management of natural resources, while that will set the development agenda over the continually improving, continues to face many coming five years. This MTDP will continue challenges. A rapidly increasing population work to achieve the goals of the StaRS and is putting pressure on natural resource Vision 2050 as well as integrating a national management through the expansion of family interpretation of the global Sustainable agriculture as well as an increasing demand Development Goals, which, form part of the for land for economic development activities. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Activities are currently conducted with only adopted, by all 193 member nations of the limited regard for the valuable environmental UN including PNG, at the United Nations ecosystem services that PNG’s diverse terrestrial Sustainable Development Summit on 25 and marine environments provide. September 2015 (further information on the SDGs is also provided in Box 3). The National Strategy for Responsible and Sustainable Development (StaRS 2014) provides the centre piece of the GoPNG’s response to these challenges. The strategy builds on the Figure 1: Pillars of Sustainable Development three pillars of sustainable development (as shown in Figure 1) and provides a framework for green growth based on three dimensions: Dimension 1: The creation of enabling conditions for green growth ENVIRONMENT Dimension 2: The mainstreaming of green growth Dimension 3: The development of green growth policy instruments Viable Bearable The adoption of this approach to development is intended to drive a transformational change Sustainable in the way that the government of PNG does business. SOCIAL ECONOMIC This approach has been integrated into the second Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) Equitable 2016-17 ‘A Pathway to a Responsible Sustainable Future’ which includes Forests and Biodiversity, Agriculture and Eco-tourism within its priority economic sectors based on their value as strategic assets. The plan also set the goal of 14 See the preamble of the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea 15 HDI shows the average level of development in the country in terms of development in health, education and income, particular on the life expectancy at birth, average and expected years of schooling and per capita income. 16 GoPNG (2015) Medium Term Development Plan 2016-17. Pathway to a Responsible Sustainable Future Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 6  Box 3 REDD+ and the Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of global development goals that were agreed as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted, by all 193 member nations of the UN including PNG, in 2015. Action on REDD+ can be seen as forming one part of PNG’s contribution to these goals in particular: SDG 13: Climate Action CLIMATE ACTION Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts – and more specifically targets 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. SDG 15: Life on Land LIFE Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, ON LAND sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss – and more specifically targets 15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. Efforts to achieve this in PNG will also have impacts across the development goals not only improving the way PNG’s environment is managed but helping to strengthen community livelihoods, their resilience to climate change and increase access to services. Further information on the SDGs can be found at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs 1.1.1 Climate Change within the cross sector development planning PNG’s commitment to addressing and responding to climate change, through cross sector national action, directly supports and will be central to achieving the goals of responsible green growth as laid out in the StaRS. The Climate Compatible Development Action Plan (2010) and subsequent policy, the Climate Compatible Development Management Policy (CCDMP) (2014) identified the key areas for action on climate change including targets of a 50% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 and to reach a point of carbon neutrality by 2050. The mechanisms to achieve this were further developed through the Climate Change Management Act (CCMA) (2015) as well the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to address climate change. The NDC was submitted to the UNFCCC as an indication of PNG’s commitment under the Paris Agreement17. These lay out a set of actions for addressing GHG emissions across sectors but do not include specific actions within the forest and land use sector, only acknowledging its importance in PNG and the need to develop both accurate estimates of emissions and potential actions. The NRS and FRL thus represent action within these areas. 7 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 1.1.2 The opportunity of REDD+ PNG was founded with a vision of sustainability, Box 4 equity and development. This commitment continues and has been reinvigorated through What is REDD+? Vision 2050, the CCDMP and the StaRS and their focus on the importance of the country’s strategic Reduced Emissions from Deforestation, assets. These domestic commitments are linked forest Degradation and the role of to global recognition of the importance of these conservation, sustainable management of assets but also awareness that PNG faces new forests and enhancement of forest carbon and increased challenges in maintaining and stocks in developing countries (REDD+) is protecting the environment and the natural an international climate change mitigation capital it contains as economic growth continues. financing mechanism adopted under the These challenges are exacerbated by a changing United Nations Framework Convention on climate that is increasing the vulnerability of Climate Change (UNFCCC). It seeks to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from PNG’s people while an increasing demand declines in global forest cover and quality for resources exposes them to global market by providing financial incentives, in the variations. form of ‘results-based payments’ (RBP), to It is thus critical that GoPNG maintains developing countries that successfully slow or reverse forest loss. In this way it provides a its commitment to the objectives of the significant opportunity to Papua New Guinea constitution and the concepts of the StaRS and (PNG) to have its efforts to develop a low must strengthen the capacity of all government emissions development pathway recognised agencies to provide guidance and support to and supported by the international PNG’s diverse communities. At the same time the community. GoPNG must provide those communities with the tools and knowledge to be able to continue their role as the stewards of the land they have managed for generations. The global mechanism on reduced Emissions from Deforestation, forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) provides the opportunity to do this. The mechanism can help PNG to develop and implement a structured national approach to address the direct and indirect drivers of forest cover change and support a transformation shift towards green, low-carbon development through changes in the way land use and forest management occurs. The NRS provides the framework for this structured approach and is one of the key four elements needed to be eligible for results based payments for emissions reductions and removals through the UNFCCC mechanism on REDD+. (see Box 4. and Annex 1: The Global Context of REDD+ for further information on the global mechanism on REDD+). 17 GoPNG (2016) Nationally Determined Contribution – available at http://unfccc.int/files/focus/ndc_registry/application/pdf/png_indc_to_the_unfccc.pdf Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 8 SECTION 1.2 PNG’s Forests and Drivers of Forest Cover Change PNG has a significant intact area of tropical forest Box 5 covering 77.8% of the country’s 46.9m ha of land (see Figure 2 for values and Box 5 for explanation What is a Forest: PNG’s Forest Definition? of national forest definition)18. Together with the forest of West Papua (Island of New Guinea) they The actual definition of what a forest is represent one of the largest areas of intact tropical varies across countries with definitions forest in the world. impacted by the ecology of an area as well as considerations of how measurements can be PNG’s forests are also highly diverse, including made. PNG has a specific definition, agreed 12 distinct forest types, with carbon-rich low- by the NEC in 2014, which is: land tropical forest constituting over 50% of forest area. “land spanning more than 1 hectare, with trees higher than 3 meters and the canopy cover of The country’s lowland forests have been ranked more than 10 percent (%)” among the world’s most ecologically distinctive forest regions19 , with the country’s forests as As this definition was only formalised in 2014 a whole identified as containing 191 species of studies conducted prior to this have not used mammal (of which over 80% are endemic), 750 this definition and as such their estimates of bird species (of which over 50% are endemic), 300 forest cover and drivers may be different from species of reptile and 197 species of amphibian20. those stated within the FRL. PNG’s montane forests are also recognised as being significant for their regional scarcity and levels of endemicity21. The country’s forests are also critical to the livelihoods and economy of the country. The Figure 2: Land use in PNG 2015 ecosystem services forests provide help to maintain access to water and suitable agricultural land for PNG’s predominantly rural population Cropland 5.07m ha 11% as well as helping to protect key infrastructure, people and crops from flash flooding and Grassland landslides. Forests also play a direct role in 2.46m ha 5% supporting the livelihoods or rural communities Wetlands with more than 500 species of wild growing plants 2.21m ha 5% identified as being used for food and the value of annual bushmeat consumption estimated to be equivalent to $26million if alternative meats had Selement to be sourced. 22 0.39m ha 1% These economic values sit alongside the deep Other lands social and cultural values attributed to forests 0.09m ha 0.9% across PNG. With over 90% of the land area under customary land ownership, PNG’s forests Forest land are at the center of the cultural identity of many 35.89m ha 78% communities. Data from GoPNG (2016) Papua New Guinea’s National REDD+ Forest Reference Level, Submission for UNFCCC Technical Assessment in 2017 9 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 1.2.1 Drivers of Forest Cover Change PNG has a very high level of forest cover Figure 3 Forest Degradation 2000-2015 at 77.8% 23 making it one of the most 300,000 extensively forested countries in the world. Despite this PNG’s forests have been in decline, with deforestation reducing levels 250,000 of forest cover and degradation changing the nature of a significant portion of PNG’s 200,000 Area (ha) forests (see Figure 3 and 4 )24. 150,000 PNG’s FRL 24 , submitted to the UNFCCC in 2017, identified that between 2000 and 100,000 2015 261,528 ha of forest was cleared, resulting in average emissions of over 50,000 5m tCO 2 e per annum (see Figure 6). This deforestation has been primarily driven by the conversion of forest-land to crop-land 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 which accounts for 87% of deforestation. Of this shifting agriculture is responsible for Year 63% of the land deforested and commercial agricultural developments, primarily in the Figure 4 Deforestation 2000-2015 form of oil palm are responsible for 30% of the deforested land. 60,000 The trend in clearance for commercial 50,000 agriculture has increased in the past decade 40,000 Area (ha) following the rapid expansion of Special Agricultural Business Leases (SABLs), 30,000 which were allocated over 5.1m ha. While only a small number of these have initiated 20,000 development and there has been an official moratorium and subsequent suspension of 10,000 them, some logging (see next page) and conversion has occurred. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year 18 GoPNG (2016) Papua New Guinea’s National REDD+ Forest Reference Level, Submission for UNFCCC Technical Assessment in 2017. 19 Olsen and Dinerstein (1998), Brooks et al 2006, Bryan et al (1997) quoted in Sherman P, Bryan J, Ash J, Hunnam P, Makey B, and Lokes B (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea. Mapping the extent and condition of forest cover and measuring the drivers of forest change in the period 1972-2002. UPNG 2008 20 Shekran and Miller (1994) quoted in Sherman P, Bryan J, Ash J, Hunnam P, Makey B, and Lokes B (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea. Mapping the extent and condition of forest cover and measuring the drivers of forest change in the period 1972-2002. UPNG 2008 21 Sherman et al (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea 22 Sherman P, Bryan J, Ash J, Hunnam P, Makey B, and Lokes B (2008) The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea. Mapping the extent and condition of forest cover and measuring the drivers of forest change in the period 1972-2002. UPNG 2008 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 10 These trends in clearance of land for shifting The remaining forest area has also been subject agriculture as well as the demand for development to significant degradation with 2,427,987 ha of through commercial agricultural developments forest degraded between 2000-2015. This level are closely linked to ongoing population growth of degradation has resulted in average emissions and increases in population density. With of over 25m tCO2e per annum (see Figure 6). It PNG’s population increasing rapidly at 3.1% is recognised that almost all of this disturbance per annum 26 this trend is likely to continue and has been caused by commercial logging (98.1%). worsen over coming years. Indeed the impacts This trend is also set to continue with over 8.6m of population growth on demand for agricultural ha of forest currently under concessions and a productivity are being further heightened by a further 8.4m ha identified as potential concession corresponding increase in the average number areas30. Levels of degradation have, since 2008, of calories consumed per person over time thus also been driven by logging operations in SABL increasing the impacts of each individual, which areas in preparation for future clearing and combined with the population’s rapid increases agricultural development with some 25% of will present a significant driver of forest cover exported timber coming from SABL’s in 2015 31. change in terms of conversion of forest to both shifting and permanent cropland 27. Conversely, efforts to enhance forest cover through reforestation and forest rehabilitation This can be seen at a macro scale by looking activities have been limited despite ambitious at PNG’s crude population density, 28 which is goals set out within Vision 2050 to establish currently estimated at 18 people per km 2. By 800,000 ha of forest plantation by the middle 2027 this will have increased to 25 people per of this century. PNGFA estimates that some km 2. When these figures are mapped onto an 60,000 ha have been reforested and are assessment of population density and land targeting a further 20,000 ha prior to 2030. The use (see Figure 5 29) carried out during the organisation’s new ‘Painim graun, planim diwai’ development of PNG’s FRL it can be seen that initiative, plans to expand this further to meet such a change could be expected to result in a the 800,000 ha target. The initiative, however, 7-8% decline in forest cover. Such changes will faces significant challenges in securing access also be more significant in areas close to urban to land and investors for this expansion with areas, infrastructure and development projects plantation forestry facing challenges in with migration linked to access to potential creating appropriate incentives and securities employment opportunities around mine sites for both land holders and companies to engage and displacement of population by development in the long-term agreements necessary for activities leading to significant localised increases plantation forestry. in population density. Such changes have the potential to cause both localised environmental While the cultural, environmental and economic degradation and deforestation as well as social importance of forests are known it is also recognised conflicts related to land and resources. that some clearing and degradation is essential as part of PNG’s development process. This Figure 5: Trends in Land use and Population Density 100 90 80 Percentage of landuse 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Populaon density per km2 Forest Cropland Selement Grassland Wet Land Other Land 11 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy deforestation and degradation has however not transition into a global and cash based economy always occurred in the most efficient and effective without the skills and support needed to either way with many development activities resulting in ensure the sustainable management of their significant degradation of the wider environment resources or the new incomes they are receiving. and, in many cases, not delivering the economic These limitations can be seen as the indirect benefits promised. These limitations have drivers of forest cover change that have been emerged from (1) a lack of coordinated planning critical in allowing development activities, that can on how forest lands can be cleared and utilised, and should be supported as part of the country’s (2) a lack of detailed legislation to conserve and long term growth, be implemented in ways that sustainably manage forest resources, (3) a failure are detrimental to the country’s environment, to fully implement existing legislation and (4), the people and economy. It is thus essential that absence of effective support to rural development these underlying drivers be addressed as part leaving landholders and communities seeking of PNG’s approach to REDD+ to ensure that private investment as the only way to access the future development activities are in line with basic services and development opportunities the principles of responsible and sustainable they need32. This latter element has left many development. communities and landholders having to rapidly Figure 6: Primary drivers of forest cover change in PNG 5 (mtCO2e) Average annual emissions 2001-2013 Deforesta on 261,528 ha 6% Forest to other Agriculture 13% Forest to other land use 26% Forest to Commercial agriculture (oil palm) 25 (mtCO2e) Average annual 55% Forest to Family Agriculture emissions 2001-2013 Forest Degrada on 2,427,987 ha Commercial Logging 98.1% Other degrada on (small scale logging, gardening, fire etc) 1.9% 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 Hectares of Forest Impacted 2001-2015 (Thousand hectares) Papua New Guinea Forest Reference Level, Submission for UNFCCC Technical Assessment in 2017 23 Figure for 2015 - GoPNG (2016) Papua New Guinea’s National REDD+ Forest Reference Level, Submission for UNFCCC Technical Assessment in 2017. 24 Information from GoPNG (2016) Papua New Guinea’s National REDD+ Forest Reference Level, Submission for UNFCCC Technical Assessment in 2017 25 A Forest Reference Level (FRL) provides information on historical levels of GHG emissions and removals from the forest sector as well as estimates of future trends. Further information is provided in 2.4.2 Forest Reference Emission Level and Annex 1. 26 PNG National Statistics Office - http://www.nso.gov.pg/index.php/population-and-social/other-indicators#highlands-region accessed April 2016 27 Bourke, R.M. and Harwood, T. (eds) (2009). Food and Agriculture in Papua New Guinea. ANU E Press, The Australian National University, Canberra. 28 Crude population density relates to the total population of PNG over the entire area of PNG. 29 Information from PNGFA (2014) Forest and Land Use in Papua New Guinea 2013 30 PNGFA Draft National Forest Plan (2013) unpublished 31 SGS (2015) Société Générale de Surveillance. Log Export Statistics 2015 32 Underlying drivers drawn from analysis conducted as part of the FCPF (2016) Issues and Options for REDD+ in PNG available at (http://www.pngreddplus.org.pg/) Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 12 SECTION 1.3 REDD+ in PNG PNG has been at the forefront of REDD+ negotiations globally since 2005 when PNG and Costa Rica introduced the concept of reduced emissions from Figure 7: Primary drivers of forest deforestation to the UNFCCC 33. Over this time the cover change in PNG GoPNG has worked to lead international discussions on REDD+ while building capacity and testing approaches to REDD+ domestically as part of a broader approach to climate change. 2008 Establishment of OCCES PNG’s early efforts on climate change were formalised in 2008 with the establishment of the Office of Climate Change and Environment Sustainability (OCCES), which OCCD established was re-established as the Office of Climate Change and Development (OCCD) in 2010 and, following the passing Climate Compa ble Development of the Climate Change Management Act (CCMA) in 2015, 2010 Strategy developed has now become the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) (see Figure 7 for timeline). This organisation has been central to moving REDD+ readiness developments forward including through the Start of UN-REDD Na onal Programme in PNG establishment of a technical working group for REDD+ 2011 (initially the REDD+ TWG and the MRV/FRL TWG – these groups have also now transitioned to committees under the CCMA 2015 – see Section 2.4.1 on NRS Coordination Start of FRL development CE and Reporting for more information on current and Assessment proposed coordination arrangements), the development Passing of StaRS of pilot projects in partnership with PNGFA, development partners and the private sector, the development of 2014 Passing of CEPA Act the Climate Compatible Development Management Climate Compa ble Development Policy, and the REDD+ Roadmap in 2010, around which Management Policy approved government action and development partner support has been structured. Start of FCPF Project Between 2011 and 2017 PNG has worked, with support 2015 Passing of Climate Change from development partners including the UN-REDD Management Act Programme (implemented by UNDP, FAO and UNEP), JICA, GIZ, the EU and the FCPF Readiness Fund, implemented through UNDP, to increase capacity Launch of Na onal Forest Inventory and understanding of REDD+ across key stakeholders 2016 Transi on from OCCD to CCDA within the country as part of the REDD+ Readiness Phase of REDD+ development (see Figure 9). Work Passing of UN-Paris Agreement has been conducted on assessing the drivers of forest (Implementa on) Act cover change through partnership between CCDA and PNGFA as well as UNDP and FAO and developing the for key components of REDD+ namely the National REDD+ 2017 Submission of Na onal Forest Strategy (NRS), the Safeguards Information System Reference Level (SIS), the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) and the Forest Reference Level (FRL) (see Figure 8 Endorsement of Na onal REDD+ Strategy and Annex 1 for further information). This work is now showing significant progress with the NFMS becoming operational and publically available in 2016 (see www. nfms-png.org), the FRL submitted to the UNFCCC for technical assessment in January 2017 and a roadmap developed for the establishment of a SIS. The NRS marks the next milestone in this work and will guide PNG’s transition from the REDD+ Readiness Phase to REDD+ implementation (see Figure 9). 13 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy The NRS has been developed over an 18 To achieve this the NRS will be supported by a month period through a process of structured REDD+ Finance and Investment Plan (FRIP) consultation and awareness raising with key for which will provide a detailed breakdown of stakeholders from government agencies, civil activities to be undertaken within the coming five society and the private sector. A full list of years including, clear budgets and approaches to the consultation and engagement activities financing (for further information see Section 2.5 is provided in Annex 2. It also builds on the on Financing REDD+ and 2.6. The Way Forward). experiences of early REDD+ development activities in PNG, including the development of pilot activities (see Box 6), and the ongoing Figure 8: Core Components of REDD+ assessment and analysis work that has focused on key areas of action on REDD+ including Naonal REDD+ Forest Reference reviews of forest sector financing, commercial Strategy (NRS) Level (FRL) agricultural development, stakeholder engagement processes and land use mapping. Much of this work was compiled within an Issues and Options Paper for REDD+ in PNG, which, set out the key decision and action areas for REDD+ in PNG and was circulated widely for consultation, the feedback from which has been central to creating this Strategy35. As shown in Figure 9 PNG is still at an early stage of its REDD+ development process. Thus while the current strategy marks a critical step in the nation’s REDD+ development process further action is needed to ensure that the strategy is effectively financed, that proposed policies and measures are developed and tested, and that long term sustainable financing and management Safeguards Informaon Naonal Forest systems are in place. System (SIS) Monitoring System (NFMS) Figure 9: PNG’s Position in REDD+ Development Phases PNG is transitioning from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of REDD+ development PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 REDD+ Readiness Demonstrating approaches to REDD+ Full Implementation Countries decide IF and HOW Countries test various approaches to Implementation through they want to implement REDD+ implement REDD+, refine their strategies, policies and measures and scale-up Capacity building and Emissions reductions are developing systems Implement the National REDD+ Strategy measured & reported Develop National REDD+ Results-based finance can be accessed in Results-based finance Strategy this phase Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 14  Box 6 From Projects to Paradigm Shifts PNG has been at the forefront of the development Negotiating contracts and requiring of REDD+. This has included the establishment communities to make long term of a small number of site level tests to identify commitments about their land use how REDD+ can be developed at the local levela. development options are extremely complex when directly linked to an uncertain These site level actions have been important in international market for a commodity that shaping how REDD+ will be developed in PNG communities are not familiar with. and experience drawn from them have informed thinking on REDD+ at both the national and These lessons have led to a global move away international scale. A number of key lessons from REDD+ projects with the Paris Agreement have also been learned from these projects that not providing a demarcated way for individual are in common with other projects globally. projects to engage with REDD+ under the These include: UNFCCC. Instead countries are requested to report emissions at the national level and to Community based land use and development achieve emission reductions through policies planning provide a critical basis for and measures that are implemented through enhancing levels of forest conservation. national and subnational government systems. Undertaking of activities in project-based can PNG as a signatory of the Paris Agreement deliver rapid results but face challenges in has chosen to follow this national approach to long-term sustainability if not integrated into REDD+. Thus while the country will learn from the broader government planning and financing successes and challenges of these pilot projects, processes. the future direction of REDD+ will focus upon a A number of small, geographically discrete coordinated national approach that emphasises projects may deliver local benefits but are support to improved land use planning and not able to address broader trends in forest management as part of an integrated climate cover change that are driven by national level compatible development approach with carbon challenges. measurement and reporting occurring at the national level and policies and measures being Addressing challenges in one area may implemented across government sectors, sub- provide protection and local benefits but national governments as well as the private may displace threats to other areas if there is sector and civil society. not broader national action. The costs linked to developing and monitoring carbon projects are extremely a Site level tests include the April Salumei Project (a VCS certified project) and test approaches in Central Suau, in Milne Bay and high per hectare when compared to national Manus Province. REDD+ monitoring and reporting. 33 The concept of REDD+ has evolved over the decade since it’s introduction to the UNFCCC from a focus on only deforestation to a broader focus to include deforestation, forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. 34 It is recognized that countries will adopt a step wise approach to REDD+ development due to the technical and operational complexities of its implementation. 35 The full paper is available from (http://www.pngreddplus.org.pg/) 15 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 16 17 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy  SECTION 2 PNG’s Vision and Approach to REDD+ Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 18 SECTION 2.1 PNG’s Vision For REDD+ To catalyse transformational change within the forest and land use sector towards a new responsible economy with lower GHG emissions, stronger long term economic growth and community livelihoods and the effective conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services while ensuring that Papua New Guinea’s forest resources are used in a sustainable and equitable manner for the benefit of current and future generations. PNG’s forests are central to the country’s actions of civil society and the private sector formal and informal economy and the diverse over the coming decade. It does not provide a cultures of its people. They provide a critical detailed list of activities but a guiding approach, role in regulating environmental services key components for development and areas locally including river catchments and weather for action that must be developed, costed and systems, regionally through influencing rainfall funded as part of PNG’s investment in achieving patterns and globally through their contribution REDD+ and green development. to the removal of GHG from the atmosphere thus helping to mitigate climate change. Some Critically the NRS recognises that REDD+ change in the nature and extent of these forests (reducing emissions from deforestation and is inevitable and indeed important as PNG’s forest degradation) is not an activity, or project population and economy grow. Current rates of in itself, but a goal to be achieved as part of forest cover change, however, have resulted in PNG’s approach to sustainable and responsible emissions averaging 30m tCO2e between 2001 development. This goal will be achieved by: and 2013, approximately 3 times those of the creating the enabling conditions for actions country’s energy sector36 as well as localised by government, civil society and the private environmental degradation, threatening the key sector; environmental services that the forests provide while not delivering the maximum benefit to mainstreaming the concepts and goals communities or the broader economy. of REDD+ into the work of sectors and developing policies and measures that The GoPNG, through its StaRS has committed drive actions at the national provincial and PNG to a low carbon green growth pathway, local level to reduce emissions and enhance in line with the targets of Vision 2050 and the PNG’s forests. Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030. This pathway will require PNG to take action on Through this approach REDD+ will directly climate change to both support communities support the achievement of PNG’s development to adapt to a changing climate and to reduce targets and help deliver a transformational emissions. The Climate Compatible Development change in the way PNG approaches land use Policy (2014) provides a framework for this development and help set the country on a low action, which has legally been formalised through emission green development pathway in line the CCMA (2015) and further developed by PNG’s with the goals of the StaRS. Nationally Determined Contributions, an estimate of proposed action on climate change submitted This commitment is summarised in the PNG’s to the UNFCCC as part of the Paris Agreement. vision for REDD+: The UNFCCC mechanism on REDD+ provides PNG To catalyse transformational change within with the opportunity to have its efforts to reduce the forest and land use sector towards a emissions and enhance removals from the forest new responsible economy with lower GHG sector, as part of its transition to a low emissions emissions, stronger long term economic growth development pathway, internationally recognised and community livelihoods and the effective and supported. The NRS is the guiding framework conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem to both achieve these emission reductions and services while ensuring that Papua New Guinea’s ensure that they are globally recognised through forest resources are used in a sustainable and the UNFCCC system. equitable manner for the benefit of current and future generations. The NRS provides the strategic direction for how REDD+ will be integrated into relevant government policies and programmes and the 19 Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 36 Figures based on review of GoPNG draft FRL and PNG’s Nationally Determined Contribution submitted to the UNFCCC. Emissions from the forest sector equate to emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and removals from forest carbon stock enhancement. They do not include sequestration from forest remaining forest. Papua New Guinea National REDD+ Strategy 20 SECTION 2.2 PNG’s Approach to REDD+ Based on this vision and guided by the Cancun REDD+ Safeguards PNG’s approach to REDD+ will be based on the following decisions. PNG’s approach to REDD+ will: support a transformational change in the way that the country approaches economic 1 and land use development to enable PNG to achieve a low emission, green development pathway. This will focus on ensuring action are in line with the national development goals and target increasing the sustainability of key economic activities that drive forest cover change (commercial forestry and commercial and family agriculture) through action within relevant sectors. This will be coordinated through a cross cutting NRS that identifies policies and measures to address the underlying drivers of forest cover change and support the economic development and livelihood security of rural communities. support sector agencies, communities and landholders to take actions in line with the 2 policies and measures described within the strategy through support based on non- carbon37 indicators of improved forest management. This will ensure that resources are directed to support groups based on effective experience of strengthening forest ma