“REDD+ and other climate mechanisms must be built from the ground up”

Since its introduction as a global mechanism to fight climate change through forest conservation, the REDD+ scheme has sparked debate—not just about its effectiveness in reducing emissions, but also about its potential impacts on local communities where it is implemented.

To address such concerns, the Cancun Agreements at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) established safeguards that require REDD+ projects to contribute to forest conservation…