Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative

Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative was launched by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007. One of the key aims is to incorporate reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) in a new international climate agreement.

Another aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector in developing countries as quickly as possible, without waiting for a climate agreement to be concluded.

A third aim of the Climate and Forest Initiative is to promote the conservation of natural forests to maintain their carbon storage capacity and preserve species and genetic diversity, ecosystem services and the livelihoods of the people who live in and off the forests. One of the main objectives of the initiative, in addition to the climate targets, is to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in developing countries.

The initiative aims to promote the conservation of all tropical forests. Funds provided under the initiative are already being used to support the efforts of a number of developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector. The funds are mainly channelled through multilateral organisations such as the UN, the World Bank and the regional development banks. The Amazon Fund in Brazil is another important partner.

In the spring of 2008, a project group tasked with day-to-day management of the initiative was established in the Ministry of the Environment. The group cooperates closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and other relevant ministries. It is also seeking to draw on expertise found in multilateral organisations, NGOs and research institutions.

Read more about Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative on the Ministry of the Environment’s website.