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Comment 8 for : April 28, 2016 Cap-and-Trade Workshop on Sector-Based Offsets (sectorbased4-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Joanna
Last Name: Durbin
Email Address: jdurbin@climate-standards.org
Affiliation: Climate,Community&BiodiversityAlliance
Subject: advances in jurisdictional REDD+ safeguards validation and monitoring
Comment:
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
Attachment: www.arb.ca.gov/lists/com-attach/12-sectorbased4-ws-AWdTOgBzBAgFYFc2.zip
Original File Name: for CARB REDD+ SES Acre docs May 13 2016.zip
Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2016-05-13 13:35:04
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