State legal framework

The National REDD+ Strategy aims to promote consistency and synergies among climate change, forest and biodiversity related policies at the federal, state and municipal levels.

In 2012, the Ministry of the Environment commissioned a survey to map state level REDD+ and payment for environmental services initiatives. The report “REDD+ in the Amazon states: Mapping initiatives and integration challenges for the national strategy”, identified eighteen states with climate change or payments for environmental services related policies that address REDD+.

The state level legislation on REDD+ defined before the National REDD+ Strategy was established brings a challenge to be addressed by the National REDD+ Committee in its efforts to promote integration among the different levels of the federation.

In line with the PPCDAm, the nine states in the Brazilian Amazon have state plans to prevent and control deforestation. The state plans are the result of the federal government’s effort to engage state governments in the fight against deforestation. In order to drive such engagement, developing and implementing state-wide plans were defined as requirements for obtaining a seat on the Amazon Fund Guidance Committee. In 2013-2014, the Amazon Fund set a review of the state plans as a condition for providing support to projects submitted by the states during that period.

The definition, by the National REDD+ Committee, of the guidelines, rules and criteria for the eligibility of entities willing to have access to REDD+ payments; for fundraising by the eligible entities; for the use of REDD+ resources and for how the associated benefits should be shared will provide a valuable opportunity to drive state engagement towards a more integrated implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy.

Click here for more information on Thematic Advisory Board established to address these challenges.