Comment Log Display

From the Director of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity
Alliance
To the California Air Resources Board   13 May 2016
I am submitting these comments as a contribution to the discussion
on social and environmental safeguards requirements for potential
linked sector-based offset programs during the workshop hosted by
CARB on April 28, 2016.   I hope this information will help CARB to
move forward with the important issue of including tropical forest
sector-based credits in California’s cap and trade program under
AB32.
Significant progress has been made in several jurisdictions on the
definition and reporting of safeguards, and methods to validate and
monitor them.  Specifically, the State of Acre in Brazil has
demonstrated that it is feasible to monitor safeguards in a
detailed way, covering a comprehensive range of information
important for safeguards and ensuring credibility of their report
through a participatory and transparent process engaging a full
range of stakeholders. Their detailed safeguards self-assessment
report finalized in November 2014 identified strengths, weaknesses
and some gaps, which California can use to review and find
assurance that its requirements on safeguards are addressed. Acre
used a detailed and comprehensive framework for their assessment
based on the international best-practices on safeguards defined in
the REDD+ Social & Environmental Standards (REDD+ SES).  The REDD+
SES Initiative conducted an International Review (involving a
representative of Indigenous Peoples from Panama and an expert on
REDD+ and safeguards from another area of Brazil) that confirmed
that Acre completed the full ten-step process defined in the REDD+
SES Guidelines requiring a high level of participation and
transparency.
For detailed information on the progress achieved in Acre please
find attached:
•	REDD+ Social & Environmental Safeguards Monitoring Manual in the
System of Incentives for Environmental Services (August 2013)
•	Self-evaluation report of compliance with the social and
environmental safeguards in the SISA and ISA Carbon Program of the
State of Acre (November 4, 2014)
•	REDD+ SES International Review State of Acre, Brazil (November
2015)
These reports documenting the progress on safeguards in Acre
provide information and assurances that will be very important for
consideration of the inclusion of REDD credits in the California
cap-and-trade program.  The Acre case provides a first experience. 
Other jurisdictions are planning to follow a similar process.  
The REDD+ SES Initiative provides guidance and tools to
jurisdictions to enable them to meet requirements on strong,
comprehensive safeguards, implemented and monitored in a
participatory and transparent manner. The Initiative was started in
2009 by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), a
partnership of NGOs (CARE, Conservation International, Rainforest
Alliance, The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation
Society). The Initiative is managed by the CCBA secretariat based
at Conservation International. The Initiative is overseen by an
International Steering Committee of representatives from
governments, multilateral organizations, Indigenous and Community
organizations, social and environmental NGOs and private sector
mostly from countries where REDD+ is implemented. For more
information see www.redd-standards.org 
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or for
further information.  
Dr Joanna Durbin
Director, Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance
jdurbin@climate-standards.org