The Vision, presented during the Conference of the Parties XVI, represents a first step towards the development of a National REDD+ strategy. The document lays the ground for an operating mechanism and proposes the following five strategic lines 1) institutional arrangements and public policy (e.g., aligning policies within the Agriculture and Forestry sectors), 2) financial mechanisms, reference levels and MRV, 3) capacity building and communication, 4) social participation and 5) transparency. Furthermore, the document includes "early actions" (Acciones Tempranas) that are being considered which constitute learning experiences for the REDD+ strategy’s future development. Mexico’s Vision on REDD is based on sustainable forest management to maintain and increase carbon stocks, while obtaining additional social, economic and environmental benefits.
Mexico's Vision on REDD+: Towards a National Strategy
Elements of REDD
Management and coordination
In 2009, the Interministerial Climate Change Commission (CICC) created a REDD+ workgroup (GT-REDD+) which is responsible for the REDD+ initiative. The coordination between CICC and the Interministerial Commission for Rural Sustainable Development (CIDRS) is considered key in promoting rural sustainable development. This coordination aims to promote alignment with other sectors that also impact forest territories, including infrastructure, energy, land tenure, social, tourism and civil protection activities. Similarly, states and municipalities will be responsible for promoting and developing REDD+ mechanisms since they can be influential in halting deforestation drivers. Sub-national activities will have to be coordinated with the national level in order to promote synergies. It is worth noting that community, civil and academic organizations play an active role in REDD+ activities.
Stakeholder engagement and participation
The REDD+ task force (CTC-REDD+) is comprised of social organizations, forest owner's representatives, academia, government agencies, financing institutions and non-governmental organizations. It acts as an advisor to GT-REDD and collaborated in the development of the Vision. The importance of participation by indigenous and rural communities in the design and implementation of REDD+ is recognized when developing the national strategy. The Vision process and future development of the National REDD+ Strategy (ENAREDD+) intends to be a participatory and inclusive activity, including 1) equity, 2) citizen participation, 3) transparency and legality, 4) coordination between actors, 5) equitable benefit sharing, 6) certainty in land ownership and 7) free, prior and informed consent.
Rights and tenure
All future actions associated with the Vision and ENAREDD+ will not alter the current land tenure regime as established in the Mexican Constitution and all international treaties where Mexico acts as a signatory. The Mexican Federal Government is committed to guaranteeing land ownership rights. Past experiences from programs like the Community Forestry Program (Programa de Desarrollo Forestal Comunitario, PROCYMAF) and the Indigenous and Community Biodiversity Conservation Program (Programa de Conservación Comunitario de la Biodiversidad, COINBIO) that have contributed to strengthening the local regulation of common resources, as well as regulations within the same communities, can assist in this matter.
Compliance (incentives and enforcement)
The Federal Government will play a promoting and regulatory role. One of Mexico's challenges will center on strengthening enforcement institutions, including the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA), who will have to work in coordination with local and state governments. Furthermore, it will need to secure more financial resources in order to operate in a more efficient manner.
Reference level
The Reference Level will use a combination of historical data, as well as estimates on future emissions and increases without the implementation of a REDD+ framework. In order to do so, carbon densities and emissions will be calculated by gathering and revising historical data on vegetative cover and land use, as well as through remote sensing methodologies. A consensus on the definition of forest will also be required. Reference levels will be complied at a national level, but could be created alongside sub-national levels.
Safeguards
The Vision mentions the importance of addressing deforestation drivers and forest degradation, while promoting social and environmental co-benefits that promote biodiversity conservation and ensure the improvement of ecosystem services. Sustainable Forest Management will also provide ecological, economic and social co-benefits. Maximizing associated co-benefits will be important when developing local capabilities. Safeguards will also be addressed in the National REDD+ strategy.
MRV
The MRV methodology will be developed in accordance with international consensus on MRV. Mexico will use its National Forest and Soils Inventory (INFyS) as an instrument for a robust MRV system. The most recent INFyS was carried out between 2004 and 2007, during which time approximately 25,000 permanent plots were established in a systematic manner. These plots were established with varying distances according to the predominant land cover. Starting in 2008 all plots will be re-sampled in 5-year intervals. Furthermore, collaboration has existed between government agencies for the incorporation of terrestrial monitoring systems and INFyS. Mexico has worked closely with various countries as it relates to MRV. It has worked with Canada on carbon accounting, with Germany on radar technologies and with the United States and Finland on strengthening INFyS. Norway is currently financing and providing technical support for accelerating the implementation of Mexico's MRV system. Mexico considers that MRV systems and protocols should be national, yet flexible enough to incorporate subnational activities. A national MRV system will contribute to properly account for leakage. Finally, the development of a cost-effective, hybrid management mechanism (between academia, civil society, the private sector and the government) is being evaluated which would be transparent and dependable.
