REDD+, transformational change and the promise of performance-based payments: a qualitative comparative analysis

Abstract

eprints@whiterose.ac.uk https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. AbstractReducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a promising climate change mitigation mechanism in developing countries. This paper examines the national political context in 13 REDD+ countries in order to identify the enabling conditions for achieving progress with the implementation of countries' REDD+ policies and measures. The analysis builds on a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of various countries' progress with REDD+, conducted in 12 REDD+ countries in 2012, which highlighted the importance of factors such as already initiated policy change, and the presence of coalitions calling for broader policy change A follow-up survey in 2014 was considered timely because the REDD+ policy arena, at international and at country levels, is highly dynamic and undergoes constant evolution, which affects progress with REDD+ policy making and implementation. Furthermore, we will now examine whether the 'promise' of performance-based funds has played a role in enabling the establishment of REDD+. The results show a set of enabling conditions and characteristics of the policy process under which REDD+ policies can be established. The study finds that the existence of broader policy change, and availability of performance-based funding in combination with strong national ownership of the REDD+ policy process may help guide other countries seeking to formulate REDD+ policies that are likely to deliver efficient, effective, and equitable outcomes.Policy relevance: Tropical forest countries struggle with the design and implementation of coherent policies and measures to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Evidence on which factors and configurations are crucial to make progress towards these challenging policy objectives will be helpful for decision makers and practitioners at all levels involved in REDD+. Key findings highlight the importance of already initiated policy change, and the availability performancebased funding in combination with strong national ownership of the REDD+ process. These findings provides guidance to REDD+ countries as to which enabling conditions need to ...

Results-based payments for REDD+: Lessons on finance, performance, and non-carbon benefits

“…Savedoff (2016) argues that a cash-on-delivery model 7 for REDD+ could increase cost efficiency, be more effective, and improve governance as recipient governments would realign behavior to achieve results -if the targeted outcomes are well-defined, agreed upon and adequately rewarded. Findings from a comparative policy study in 13 countries showed that the three countries with access to performance-based finance for REDD+ (combined with national ownership over the REDD+ process) tended to advance relatively more quickly in implementing policy reforms than the others (Brockhaus et al 2016). However, the same study also found that overall progress with REDD+ was very slow, a tedious, sticky process.…”

“…Achieving reduced emission results is influenced by a complex and varied set of political, socioeconomic and environmental factors (e.g. El Niño-induced forest fires) including institutional bureaucracies, enabling conditions and opportunity costs (Angelsen 2013;Brockhaus et al 2016). If countries are to bear the costs of implementing policy reforms, they may be unwilling to participate in REDD+ because of these in part, noncontrollable, risks (Clist and Dercon 2014).…”

“…Having a payment mix will require clear performance criteria and credible reference levels (as discussed in next section), including clarity on such matters as definitions and assessments or measurements of performance (Brockhaus et al 2016), as well as clear triggers for releasing the results-based payment.…”

Framing REDD+ in the Brazilian national media: how discourses evolved amid global negotiation uncertainties

“…This shows that Brazil has strong ownership over REDD+ policy processes, as most relevant actors are domestic rather than international, contrasting with other country contexts (see ). This is a positive sign for REDD+ progress, since national ownership is necessary for success (Davis 2010;Di Gregorio et al 2012b;Korhonen-Kurki et al 2014;Brockhaus et al 2016). Despite national ownership, it is evident that the media coverage of this debate is strongly keyed to the international policy process at the COPs as in other REDD+ countries (Cronin et al 2016;Khatri et al 2016;Vijge et al 2016).…”

The role of forests in climate change mitigation : a discursive-institutional analysis of REDD+ MRV

“…Although all the countries have developed REDD+ strategies and are in the process of developing reference emission levels and safeguards, which are the other three elements of REDD+ (UNFCCC, 2010), the REDD+ literature (e.g. Angelsen et al, 2012;Brockhaus et al, 2016;Minang et al, 2014) shows that none of the studied countries has addressed the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation that should be the main focus of REDD+.…”