REDD countries

Numerous other government institutions at the national or provincial level are or potentially will be involved in REDD+ implementation. Many civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector entities and indigenous groups are also involved in REDD+ to differing degrees.

Ecuador has a number of national-level governmental plans and policies that support efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The most relevant for REDD+ is the National REDD+ Plan (PNREDD+) currently being developed under the Ministry of Environment (MAE) to coordinate efforts to reduce deforestation in Ecuador. One of the crosscutting components of the National REDD+ Plan is to ensure additional social and environmental benefits in the implementation of REDD+, including improved benefits for local and indigenous communities that depend on forests for their livelihoods and wellbeing. As such, Ecuador is developing national REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (SES) to be implemented alongside PNREDD+.

The National Climate Change Strategy, 2010-2030 (approved by Executive Decree, July 2009) is the overarching climate change policy in Ecuador and comprises the National Mitigation Plan and the National Adaptation Plan. The MAE is responsible for the development and implementation of the strategy which aims to protect the country’s biodiversity that is considered a strategic resource for the well-being and development of Ecuadorian society.The National Plan for Good Living (2009-2013) sets the environment as a national priority and as one of its central axes it proposes the conservation and sustainable management of natural heritage and biodiversity, and mitigation and adaptation to climate change. It also aims to reduce social and environmental vulnerability and to reduce the national deforestation rate by 30% by 2013 (SENPLADES 2009). The National Environmental Policy enacts policies that are considered relevant to reach a level of well-being for all Ecuadorians including the sustainable management of the environment. Finally, the Forest Governance Model (FGM) within the National Strategy for the Development of Sustainable Forestry emphasizes the maintenance and restoration of environmental goods and services provided by forests to local communities and society in general.