REDD+ Implementation Advisor to DRC

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The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

Working as part of the Adaptation and Resilience Branch / Climate Change Mitigation Unit, the REDD+ Implementation Advisor to the Democratic Republic of Congo, will be responsible for promoting synergies across efforts from the main stakeholders in the country to effectively implement the REDD+ strategy and thus enhancing the forest sector’s contribution to the country’s NDC ambition.

Project Information:

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s 152 million hectares of forest covers almost 70% of the country’s land area and represents 60% of the Congo Basin Forest. DRC is the second largest tropical forest country in the world. This is equal to 7.6% of the world’s total tropical forest area. The country is committed to reducing forest loss across the country through the REDD+ mechanism (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, and including conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks).

The country’s National REDD+ Framework Strategy was adopted in 2012, aiming to stabilize forest cover to 63.5% by 2030, and maintain it thereafter. The strategy, adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2012, is equivalent to a 56% reduction in projected emissions over the period 2013-2030 and a cumulative reduction of 3GtCO2e. The strategy has seven pillars guiding the interventions financed by the National REDD+ Fund (FONAREDD), namely agriculture, energy, forestry, land use planning, land tenure, governance, and demography. In its revised NDC, the DRC aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21% (conditional at 19%, and unconditional at 2%). 

The DRC is actively engaged in the REDD+ mechanism, in many ways, including project and jurisdictional level initiatives (e.g. Tshuapa Province, Emission Reduction Programme in Mai Ndombe), nesting, benefit-sharing mechanism schemes, strengthening the country’s safeguards framework (the Safeguards Information System (SIS) is now in place to document and report on progress related to safeguards and showcases significant achievements), MRV, etc. to produce high-integrity carbon credits as per different Standards’ requirements, including ART TREES. With an aim to have access to international opportunities via additional climate financing and investments to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the country established its National Carbon market Regulation Authority (ARMCA), which will structure the carbon market in the country. Many stakeholders are also involved in those numerous initiatives but the Government via its National REDD+ Coordination Office (CN REDD) and National REDD+ Fund (FONAREDD) lack resources to ensure proper coordination and optimize synergies between the various efforts. In the 2021-2031 CAFI-DRC LoI, an initial allocation of USD 500 million has been approved over the period 2021-2026 to achieve concrete objectives to halt deforestation and restore degraded lands through a sustainable & inclusive rural development that fights poverty and creates jobs and revenues. 

The necessity for key stakeholders to join efforts in a coordinated way is thus paramount to advance the REDD+ Agenda effectively in the country. This collaboration is essential for the country to access REDD+ results-based payment schemes, carbon markets and other transactions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as part of the country’s National Climate Action Plan, contributing to DRC’s NDC.

Duties and responsibilities.

The primary role of the REDD+ Implementation Advisor to DRC is to support the coordination of REDD+ efforts to achieve the country’s REDD+ objectives, including but not limited to access to REDD+ results-based payment schemes, carbon markets and other transactions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The REDD+ Implementation Advisor to DRC will thus convene all stakeholders involved in the existing initiatives (technical assistance, projects, and programmes) to join efforts and promote synergies across the board towards that end.

The Position holder will work under the overall supervision of the UNEP UN-REDD Africa Coordinator, Maminiaina Rasamoelina and in close collaboration with CN REDD, FONAREDD, UN-REDD focal points for the DRC, (FAO, UNDP and UNEP country teams, sectoral Ministries, mainly the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable development, and other REDD+ and Sustainable forest management technical assistance providers in the country (e.g. Ricardo, US Forest Service, JTAP, etc.)

The position holder’s main responsibility will be to support the coordination of REDD+ efforts to achieve the country’s REDD+ objectives, including but not limited to access to REDD+ results-based payment schemes, carbon markets and other transactions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The REDD+ Implementation Advisor to DRC will thus convene all stakeholders involved in the existing initiatives (technical assistance, projects, and programmes) to join efforts and promote synergies across the board towards that end. The Position holder will work under the overall supervision of the UN-REDD Africa Coordinator, Maminiaina Rasamoelina and in close collaboration with CN REDD, FONAREDD, UN-REDD focal points for the DRC, (FAO, UNDP and UNEP country teams, sectoral Ministries, mainly the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable development, and other REDD+ and Sustainable forest management technical assistance providers in the country (e.g. Ricardo, US Forest Service, JTAP, etc.). 

More specifically, the REDD+ Implementation Advisor to DRC will conduct the following tasks:

 Related to UN-REDD Technical Assistance:

• Follow up on the implementation of the UN-REDD Technical Assistance to the country as per the validated workplan. 

• Promote synergies between initiatives such as Aim4Forest, Restoration Factory, and other targeted initiatives under UN-REDD TA, as well as UNEP-led initiatives in the country (e.g. GEF, IKI project) in coordination with the UNEP Congo basin team. 

• Support the effort for filling technical gaps (carbon accounting, legal title to ERRs, approaches for consultations for rights holders, strengthening capacity of stakeholders on REDD+ safeguards, benefit sharing mechanism, etc.) for the country to be able to register under the ART TREES and progress in the LEAF process. 

• Facilitate the overall drafting and consultation process for the LEAF jurisdictional program in Tshuapa province for the TREES registration document (TRD) and TREES monitoring report (TMR). 

• Contribute to Verification and Validation process for TREES documents. 

Related to the overall national coordination of the REDD+ work in the country: 

• Work closely with the two main government focal points FONAREDD and CN REDD to ensure information exchanges and operational aspects of REDD+ implementation is timely and quality delivery. 

• Monitor and analyze existing projects and jurisdictional REDD+ initiatives' (PRE and PiREDDs) implementation and drawing lessons learnt from their experience for the upcoming jurisdictional endeavors in the country. 

• Engage with stakeholders working on advancing the REDD+ agenda in DRC, including government, technical assistance providers, NGOs, civil society, legal experts, private sector, academia to determine pathways for ensuring DRC’s REDD+ strategy is properly implemented to contribute to enhanced NDC ambition and the country’s sustainable development strategy.

• Facilitate exchanges of information, approach, experience and promote synergies and coordination between the above key stakeholders. 

• Facilitate national efforts to align with requirements of international standards for jurisdictional REDD+, aiming at producing high quality/integrity credits (e.g. ART TREES, VCS JNR Framework, FCPF 2.0, etc.) as identified and prioritized by the Country. 

• Coordinate efforts related to access to REDD+ results-based payment schemes, carbon markets and other transactions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. 

• Facilitate the review of and suggest approaches for an aligned benefit sharing mechanism for the proceeds from LEAF. 

• Coordinate ongoing efforts on the operationalization and implementation of the national authority to regulate carbon markets (ARMCa), the national REDD+ registry, and the development of its transactional module. 

• Coordinate efforts in leading to and implementation of the national framework on nesting. 

• Promote gender and social inclusion in REDD+ activities and decision-making processes. 

• Foster partnerships and collaboration with international donors, the private sector, and other relevant entities to mobilize resources for REDD+ activities.

Ultimate result of service 

• Enhanced coordination and synergies across the main stakeholders in the country for implementing REDD+ strategy in DRC, leading to effective access to REDD+ results-based finance, improved stakeholder collaboration, contributing to effective sustainable forest management and carbon emissions reduction goals