‘From REDD+ readiness to implementation’ Ecuador’s experience 13th UNREDD Policy Board Arusha, Tanzania November 07th, 2014

The process so far… Supported by the NJP Ecuador’s experience on REDD+ readiness The process so far… Supported by the NJP National Forest Monitoring System Addressing safeguards and design of the SIS Stakeholder engagement and capacity building Legal, policy and institutional framework REDD+ costs based on DD Forest Reference Emission Level Ecuador started its readiness phase about 4 years ago At an early stage, Ecuador was developing its National Forest Inventory and mutitemporal maps on forest coverage change and deforestation Also, as a pilot country for the Social and Environmental Standard (REDD+SES) Ecuador started working on a national interpretation of preliminary principles, criteria and indicators that contributed for an initial approach on how safeguards may be addressed and respected according to national context. As part of this process, it was identified the need for capacity development processes with key stakeholders to ensure full and effective participation during Ecuador’s readiness phase. In 2012 Ecuador’s UNREDD National Joint Programme started its implementation with a key role for the Ministry of Environment since that technical and financial support allowed us to strengthen several processes but also new activities started, including: analysis to establish an adequate legal, policy and institutional framework, cost analysis at local level in order to identify adequate policies and measures that could contribute to effectively tackle drivers of deforestation. With the NJPs support Ecuador also continued its work on safeguards and the development of a SIS, now based on a national approach, and based on all relevant information and data from forest monitoring, the country has started the development of its Forest Reference Emission Level to be presented to the Convention for its technical assessment in the context of results based payments. All these advances has enabled Ecuador to clearly identify strategic options according to its national circumstances and capacities towards developing its national strategy for REDD+ implementation, and our NJP has played a key role in this process not only throught financial support but also in contributing to develop national capacities and analitical discussions within the Ministry of Environment. However, it’s also important to mention that national policies and efforts have already been contributing to emissions reductions from deforestation which may allow Ecuador to access to results based finance for its REDD+ performance in the mid-term REDD+ vision / strategy 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Emission reductions at national level already achieved 2008 2014

RESULTS-BASED ACTIONS Ecuador’s experience on REDD+ readiness Can the transition from readiness to implementation be clearly defined? READINESS may imply: Design/ strengthen of Cancún elements (NFMS, REL, SIS, National strategy or action plan) Design of: cross-cutting elements; considerations to address and respect safeguards; others in order to implement the Warsaw Framework IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES AND MEASURES AND NATIONAL STRATEGIES OR ACTION PLANS Plus: Implementation of Cancun Elements and the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS-BASED ACTIONS … to be fully measured, reported and verified in the context of results-based payments Ecuador’s experience on its REDD+ readiness, as described before, has allowed us to see that the readiness phase is commonly known as a phase focused on designing REDD+ elements established in Cancun as well as other country specific processes required for REDD+ implementation, however not all these efforts focused on the development of a national strategy or action plan, which is actually what countries are supposed to work on during this so called ‘readiness’ phase. Anyhow, countries that have been able to develop their REDD+ elements (NFMS, SIS, REL and National strategy) are supposed to implement these elements (and everything that comes with that) during a second phase when national strategies and policies and measures are to be implemented in order to scale up to a next stage in REDD+ when Results based activities and results based payments may occur, keeping in mind that some methodological requirement established by the Warsaw framework for REDD+ might not have been considered so far at country level. It is the transition through this middle step, of national strategy implementation, the one that in our experience require at this moment of additional support and is a phase that scales up readiness into REDD+ full implementation. However it is important to highlight that this processes or phases do not occur once in an specific period of time and also are not linear since they actually need to be implemented at national level in a sustained manner so its makes it hard to differentiate clearly one phase from another. For example, processes related to the NFMS require continuity since it is the basis for the measurement and report of emissions reductions with specific frequency in order to access to results based payments. Another example may be processes established by the country to address and respect safeguards, which will happen during different phases of REDD+. And its important to underline that most countries have gone through a readiness phase only for one of the 5 REDD+ activities, deforestation in the context of results based payments… Most countries are not yet in the capacity to identify and monitor forest degradation or carbon stocks enhancement just to mention other REDD+ activities, which means that in the future, countries might have to go through readiness again to effectively define the operational, and maybe even legal and policy frameworks for other REDD+ activities.

Ecuador’s experience on REDD+ readiness The role of the UN-REDD Programme towards implementation Role of National Joint Programmes in supporting countries in the readiness phase However: Readiness has been seen as a ‘design phase’ Systems and process designed during readiness, require to be implemented and institutionalized Institutional capacities need to be strengthen – sustainability National capacities – and financial and technical support – to go through phase 2 are critical to effectively tackle DD and access and obtain RBPs That said, the role of the UNREDD programme has been key for some countries, including Ecuador, to support us in this design phase known as readiness, but in order to scale up REDD+ implementation the support of the UNREDD programme would be key beyond readiness in order to strengthen national capacities to effectively implement and institutionalize systems and processes designed during readiness That technical and financial support require for phase 2 (actual implementation of REDD+ strategies) will allow countries to effectively tackle drivers of deforestation but also to support countries in the process of obtaing results based finance Readiness Implementation of Cancún elements Implementation RBAs Results-based payments Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Ecuador’s experience on REDD+ readiness The role of UNREDD for National Strategies and results-based payments National forest monitoring system National Strategy Forest Reference Emission Level Safeguards Information System Strategy as a tool to make a country’s approach for REDD+ official – political will and be in a position to access REDD+ finance To identify priorities to effectively tackle drivers of deforestation at different levels To identify institutional capacities and arrangements needed for REDD+ implementation according to Cancún decision and the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ UNREDD Programme Strategic Framework 2016-2020 as an opportunity to ensure consistency with the Cancún decision and the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ Is in that processes of scaling up REDD+ to tackle DD and obtaining results based finance where the definition and implementation of a national strategy has a fundamental role at country level since it will allow countries to make the approach for REDD+ official, which includes the legal, policy and institutional frameworks consistent with national capacities and relevant decisions agreed under the COPs Having a official national REDD+ strategy will strengthen national and institutional capacities in terms of strengthening political will and soveran position to access REDD+ finance and that kind of support from the unredd programme throught financial and technical support might help a lot several countries with limited capacities… That said, this ongoing process in the UNREDD programme to define its strategic framework for the next 5 years is a great opportunity to reflect current country needs based on countries experiences so far but also to ensure consistency with COP decisions which might contribute to unified REDD+ country led processes, so Ecuador is willing to continue contributing to the development of this new strategic framework that surely will benefit a broad range of countries in this transition and scaling up phase from readiness to implementation.

‘From REDD+ readiness to implementation’ María del Carmen García Ecuador’s experience Patricia Serrano pserrano@pnc-onureddecuador.org María del Carmen García maria.garcia@ambiente.gob.ec