Forests provide the home and the basis of livelihood for over 1 billion people – including many indigenous peoples – and host the largest share the world's biodiversity, providing essential ecosystem services, such as water and carbon storage. Deforestation and forest degradation contribute severely to climate change, currently representing about a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Policies and finance to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) are indispensable to mitigate climate change and provide a path for sustainable development.
The work of the UNDP Climate & Forests Team contributes to both SDG 13 and SDG 15, addressing their close linkages. When promoting forest and climate policies and investments in countries, UNDP employs a social inclusion approach, wherein effective stakeholder engagement is ensured, the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities are promoted, gender equality and women’s empowerment principles are mainstreamed, and policy reforms towards more equitable land use and tenure systems are encouraged.
UNDP’s Climate Promise is the UN system’s largest portfolio of support on climate action, working with more than 140 countries and territories and directly benefiting 37 million people. This portfolio implements over US$2.3 billion in grant financing and draws on UNDP’s expertise in adaptation, mitigation, carbon markets, climate and forests, and climate strategies and policy.
Our Areas of Work
UNDP Climate & Forests supports countries with the design and implementation of national policies and measures to reduce deforestation and manage forests sustainably, hence contributing to the mitigation of climate change and advancing sustainable development. The global team has advisors in Geneva, New York, Panama, Bangkok and Nairobi, New York supporting a ~ USD 400 million portfolio of programmes across circa 20 countries.
Our Team
UNDP Climate & Forests global team is comprised of specialists from all over the globe. We take pride in being a multicultural, international team united by our passion to offer sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.
Our Initiatives
Serving forested developing countries around the world, UNDP Climate & Forests manages or implements a diverse range of initiatives to deliver technical assistance, policy advice and quality assurance to support national and subnational REDD+ readiness, implementation, and financial mechanisms, working with multiple partners on the ground.