Online Course: Advancing on REDD+

• Level: Introductory
• Time commitment: 12 hours, for 6 modules
• Learning product: online self-pace course
• Sector: multi-sector
• Language: English
• Certificate available: from UN-REDD and UNITAR on completion of 6 quizzes

This course is hosted on UN CC:e-Learnfunded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – see the SDC Climate Change and Environment Network on weADAPT for more information. Please find the course, where you can download the syllabus and enrol for full access to Advancing on REDD+.

Introduction

The REDD+ Academy is a coordinated REDD+ capacity development initiative led by the UN-REDD Programme and the UN Environment Environmental Education and Training Unit, which seeks to match the scale of the global climate change mitigation challenge and enable systematic, focused capacity development to deliver REDD+ on the ground.

*This article provides an overview of the course with selected videos acting as tasters. The full course with all videos, quizzes plus learning material can be accessed herethrough a free registration on the UNCC:e-Learn website.

Institutional background and trainer

The REDD+ e-Academy comprises two e-courses which aim to ensure the material developed for the REDD+ Academy is accessible to all. The two courses are Fundamentals on REDD+ and Advancing on REDD+. While the first course provides the basics for a good understanding of REDD+ principles, the second provides content for a deeper understanding of how countries can benefit from applying REDD+ at national level. Overall, the two courses provide an overview of key REDD+ issues with the aim of empowering participants to contribute to a well-informed national REDD+ process.

Who would find this useful?

The REDD+ e-Academy aims to train REDD+ decision-makers in economic and policy areas – essential for the success of Results-based Actions – in sectors such as agriculture, energy, mining, finance and development planning.

Other REDD+ stakeholders, such as civil society and academia, will also find useful information in the two courses.

The course on Advancing on REDD+ is directed at the above-mentioned individuals, who already have pre-existing knowledge of the principles of REDD+.

The development of the REDD+ Academy responds to needs expressed by UN-REDD Programme partner countries for a regionally focused education initiative for those involved in national REDD+ programmes. Accordingly, the design of the REDD+ Academy is guided by the following principles:

• To engage new REDD+ practitioners in key policy and economic sectors relevant for reducing deforestation and forest degradation;
• To build on existing REDD+ capacity development initiatives;
• To ensure the delivery of a long-term and sustainable learning experience;
• To adopt a demand-driven, region-specific approach to training tied to REDD+ implementation; and
• To facilitate South-South cooperation.

Training material

The Advancing on REDD+ course is structured around six modules. While how to prepare and implement REDD+ at the national level through a National Strategy or Action Plan, including financial resources available, is discussed in the course Fundamentals on REDD+, the Advancing on REDD+ course presents the other three REDD+ elements, to which it adds the importance of engaging the relevant stakeholders in the process and the principles of good governance.

The six modules are as follows:

1. National Forest Monitoring Systems for REDD+;
2. Forest Reference Emission Levels (FRELs);
3. REDD+ Safeguards under the UNFCCC;
4. Approaches for the Allocation of Incentives;
5. Stakeholder Engagement in REDD+;
6. Good Governance.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course Advancing on REDD+, participants will be able to:

• Describe the process and objectives of developing a National Forest Monitoring System;
• Explain the importance of developing Forest Reference [Emission] Levels (FRELs/FRLs);
• Explain the need for Safeguard Information Systems in REDD+ implementation;
• Describe the characteristics of an Incentive Allocation System;
• Describe the importance of stakeholder engagement for successful REDD+ implementation;
• Describe the underlying governance factors that can affect REDD+ implementation.