Recent FCMC News and Events

FCMC Participates in COP 20 / CMP 10 Lima, Peru

December 23, 2014

FCMC and partners participated in several events and and around the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. For more information, please click here.

FCMC Conducts Training on SES Safeguards in Lima, Peru

December 12, 2014

The FCMC supported workshop gave regional perticipants the opportunity to improve their knowledge of social and environmental safeguards for REDD+. For more, please click here.

Peru Nested REDD+ Safeguards Moves Forward

December 10, 2014

FCMC's work on nested REDD+ safeguards is moving forward. Recent activities include several workshops and outreach activities. For more information click here.

FCMC at COP 20 / CMP 10

December 2, 2014

FCMC will participate in a series of events during the UNFCCC COP 20 / CMP 10 in Lima, Peru. For more information, please click here.

Guatemala GHG Inventories Workshop: Agricultural Sector

November 5, 2014

FCMC, in collaboration with the Guatemalan Ministery of Environment and Natural Resources, held a workshop on GHG inventory methodologies and requirements for the agriculture sector. For more information, please click here.

Mangrove and climate change workshop report now available

October 30, 2014

A report highlighting an expert's workshop on Mangroves and Climate Change in West Africa is now available. A French translation is forthcoming. For more information, and to access the report, please click here.

FCMC-organized Congo Basin REDD+ Capacity Building Workshop

October 20, 2014

FCMC, with collaborators IUCN and USFS, organized the Congo Basin REDD+ Capacity building workshop Brazzaville, Congo. The workshop, geared toward REDD+ negotiators and civil society organizations, was planned to complement the Anchor Conference for the CBFP, a regional institution for forest practitioners, policymakers, donors and international organizations from the Congo Basin region and their supports. For more information, click here.

Technocrats, Financiers and Carbon: A Thorny Alliance with Communities and Conservation?

October 8, 2014

On Tuesday, October 14, 2014, Dr. Ian Deshmukh, Senior Associate at Tetra Tech and FCMC Senior Technical Advisor/Manager, presented at an Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) brown bag session. For more information, click here.

REDD+ Finance Workshop, Antigua, Guatemala

October 6, 2014

FCMC supported first of two workshops on REDD+ Finance Options and the Links to National REDD+ Strategies and Climate Negotiations in Guatemala. The workshop covered a range of REDD+ related funding sources, financial instruments, and markets that can contribute to a REDD+ financing plan. For more information, click here.

Launch of Huila’s Climate Change Plan: Huila 2050

October 6, 2014

The first ever climate change plan for a department in Colombia, Plan Huila 2050, was launched on Tuesday July 22 in the city of Neiva, the capital of Huila. The plan integrates climate change mitigation and adaptation in a single approach, with a long term development vision to assure that Huila continues to be economically competitive and well adapted to future climate conditions. For more information, click here.

New TGCC Publication

September 24, 2014

A new study and briefing note for the USAID Tenure and GLobal Climate Change (TGCC) project examines the relationship between devolving forest resource rights to local levels and acheiving improved forest outcomes. For more information, click here.

Upcoming FCMC-supported webinars on land use under the UNFCCC

September 12, 2014

FCMC is supporting four webinars on land use under the UNFCCC, hosted by the GHGMI. For more information, click here.

Biodiversity workshop on REDD+ and the CBD Aichi Targets

September 12, 2014

FCMC's work on biodiversity was presented at a capacity building workshop on the links between REDD+ and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in San Jose, Costa Rica. For the full story, click here.

Second FCMC Regional Capacity Building Workshop in Lima, Peru

September 10, 2014

FCMC partners co-hosted a Regional Capacity Building workshop in collaboration with the Peruvian Ministery of Environment and SilvaCarbon. For the full story, click here.

FCMC supports LULUCF workshop in Guatemala

August 22, 2014

FCMC supported the second in a series of workshops on the accounting of greenhouse gas in Guatemala, focusing on LULUCF. For the full story, click here.

First Peru MRV Regional Training Workshop

August 5, 2014

MRV Task Lead participated in an MRV workshop in Lima, Peru. This was the first of three such workshops, the remaining to be conducted over the coming three months. For the full story, click here.

Guatemala Greenhouse Gas Inventories Introductory Workshop

July 28, 2014

FCMC organized a workshop in Guatemala on GHG inventories and LEDS. This workshop was the first in a series of FCMC-supported workshops on best practices and protocols for GHG inventory development as prescribed by the IPCC. For the full story, click here.

MRV Manual presented at SilvaCarbon-GFOI Southeast Asia Regional Workshop

July 23, 2014

FCMC continued the communication and feedback process for the REDD+ MRV Manual, with presentations and discussions held during the SilvaCarbon-GFOI Second Regional Workshop on Forest Monitoring for Southeast Asia in Kathmandu, Nepal. For the full story, click here.

Work progresses on Peru nested REDD+ safeguards

July 21, 2014

Recent work includes taking important steps towards integration with regional governments on REDD+ safeguards issues and increasing outreach and dissemination of materials. For the full story, click here.

FCMC-supported Huila 2050 Plan promotes Bank CO₂

July 15, 2014

Bank CO₂ is a very successful enterprise that was developed by CORNARE as a local payment for ecosystem services scheme. For the full story, click here.

FCMC Organizes Workshop on Mangroves and Climate Change in Ghana

July 9, 2014

FCMC and USFS organized an expert's workshop in Elmina, Ghana focusing on Mangroves and Climate Change in West Africa. For the full story click here.

FCMC Engages in GFOI-SilvaCarbon Remote Sensing Meeting in Cameroon

June 30, 2014

The FCMC MRV Task participated in a regional workshop on remote sensing organized by GEO GFOI, SilvaCarbon, and COMIFAC in Douala, Cameroon. For the full story click here.

Online course available on Greenhouse gas inventories

June 12, 2014

FCMC partner Greenhouse Gas Management Institute has launched a Spanish language online course that covers key areas of forest and land use accounting and monitoring. For the full story, click here.

New loan guarantee product from USAID's Development Credit Authority

May 30, 2014

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) recently announced its support to lend up to $133.8 million in commercial financing for forest conservation and sustainable land use. Through the Althelia Climate Fund, this new risk-sharing loan guarantee will help to remove 100 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere. FCMC initiated the idea of a loan guarantee for REDD+ and supported the development of USAID’s Development Credit Authority’s (DCA) new product and this first transaction.

To read the full press release, please click here. For more information about FCMC's Finance and Carbon Markets work, please contact Robert O'Sullivan, FCMC Senior Director for Finance and Carbon Markets, at robert.osullivan(at)fcmcglobal.org.

FCMC participates in Gender and REDD+ Workshop

May 15, 2014

FCMC representatives joined in a learning exchange workshop on gender and REDD+ hosted by USAID, IUCN and the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). For the full story, click here.

New interactive graphic posted on REDD Desk website covering carbon market supply and demand

May 15, 2014

As part of its ongoing contribution to the development of the REDD Desk website, FCMC has helped develop an interactive graphic that demonstrates supply and demand scenarios for forest carbon markets. The new page on the REDD Desk site can be found here.

Based on analysis contained in FCMC’s report titled Emerging compliance markets for REDD+, the page shows that demand for REDD+ carbon credits will be weak when compared to supply without an agreement established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). For more information about FCMC’s ongoing work with the REDD Desk, click here.

FCMC representatives hold workshop with municipal government of Neiva, Colombia

April 25, 2014

As part of its support to develop a climate change action plan for the Huila region of Colombia, representatives for FCMC's work met with the government of the municipality of Neiva to discuss climate change vulnerability and options for response. For the full story, click here.

Support to Peru's forest monitoring system continues

April 28, 2014

FCMC is supporting the development of a national forest monitoring system in Peru. For updates over the last few months of this work, click here.

Work continues on Nested REDD+ Safeguards in Peru

April 18, 2014

FCMC is supporting the development of nested REDD+ safeguards in the San Martin region of Peru. For updates over the last few months of this work, click here.

FCMC representative presents work at USAID Climate Change Training

March 20, 2014

Dr. Claudio Schneider of FCMC partner Conservation International delivered a presentation on FCMC's work in Latin America at a Global Climate Change training for USAID officials in Lima, Peru. For the full story, click here.

Inception Meeting held for new Comparison Study of Forest Monitoring Methods

March 21, 2014

FCMC hosted an inception meeting to launch a new activity that will compare existing methods on remote sensing-based forest monitoring. For the full story, click here.

Press Release: WRI and UNEP launch the Global Forest Watch

February 20, 2014

The World Resources Institute (UNEP), an implementing partner of FCMC, along with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has launched the Global Forest Watch (GFW), an online forest monitoring tool that empowers people across the global to improve their forest management. For the full press release regarding the GFW, click here.

Vulnerability Assessment presented to national-level institutions in Colombia

January 20, 2014

FCMC representatives in the Huila region of Colombia held a meeding with national-level institutions to present the findings of its recent Vulnerability Assessment, carried out as part of FCMC's work to develop a Climate Change Action Plan for the region. For the full story, click here.

Verified Carbon Standard releases tool on Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Leakage

February 14, 2014

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) recently released its JNR Leakage Tool - a new tool to help subnational REDD+ programs assess leakage that may occur outside their boundaries. The tool was designed to be an optional tool for the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ standard, but it can be used by any subnational programs seeking to quantify domestic leakage. It contains a simplified step-by-step approach to address various types of leakage and is accompanied by two additional optional modules to account for leakage associated with the production of global commodities - the Global Commodity Leakage Module: Effective Area Approach , and the Global Commodity Leakage Module: Production Approach.

Robert O'Sullivan, FCM's lead for Finance and Carbon Markets, participated in the working group that advised the VCS on the development of the new tool. The new tool and modules can be downloaded here.

FCPF Carbon Fund Methodological Framework now available

January 28, 2014

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility's Carbon Fund has released the final version of its Methodological Framework, which will be used by Carbon Fund Participants to select ER Programs into the Carbon Fund portfolio. FCMC supported the development of the Framework through providing technical input and advice on a number of design features. To read more about the Carbon Fund and the new Framework, and to access the final versions of the document, click here

Work continues on nested REDD+ safeguards in Peru

January 22, 2014

Through core partner Conservation International, FCMC is working in Peru to establish nested REDD+ safeguards in the San Martin and Madre de Dios regions of Peru. For updates on this work, click here.

FCMC representatives in Huila, Colombia hold workshop with local mayors

January 17, 2014

As part of its ongoing work to support a climate change action plan for the Huila region of Colombia, FCMC representatives held two separate workshops with local mayors to disseminate information about climate change and discuss options for moving forward. For the full story, click here.

REDD Desk side event at Warsaw COP

November 18, 2013

FCMC and the Global Canopy Programme hosted a side event on REDD+ standards at the UNFCCC COP in Warsaw this past November. For the full story, click here.

FCMC hosts Indian foresters to discuss REDD+

December 4, 2013

Representatives from India's Forest Department and the Michigan State University visited FCMC to collaborate and share successes on REDD+ issues. For the full story, click here.

FCMC participates in third IUCN Natural Resource Governance Framework Workshop

December 3, 2013

FCMC SES Deputy Task Lead Janis Alcorn participated in another round of workshops for IUCN's Natural Resource Governance Framework. For the full story, click here.

FCMC SES Task Lead participates in Forest Dialogue in Vietnam

September 27, 2013

FCMC SES Task Lead Paula Williams attended a workshop in Vietnam in September of 2013 hosted by the Forests Dialogue, the Government of Vietnam's Forestry Department and RECOFTC. For a full story, click here.

FCMC hosts booth on MRV at COP19 in Warsaw

November 23, 2013

The FCMC MRV Task held a booth at the Global Landscapes Forum at last weeks UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Warsaw, Poland to promote the recently released REDD+ MRV Manual. For the full story, click here.

REDD Desk and Global Canopy Program host side event at Warsaw COP

November 18, 2013

FCMC provided technical and financial support to a new web platform for the REDD Desk, which is co-hosting a side event titled "REDD+ standards in a fragemented market: What oppportunities exist for REDD+ funding?". To view a flyer for the event, click here. To view a promotional flyer advertising the REDD Desk's new website, which was supported by FCMC, click here.

Global Forest Observations Initiative Meeting in Pasadena, California

September 6, 2013

An FCMC representative on MRV attended meetings with the Global Forest Observations Iniatitive and SilvaCarbon in Pasadena, California September 4-6. For the full story, click here.

Wallace Conference on Sustainable Agriculture in Costa Rica

December 3, 2013

FCMC representatives from the work in Huila, Colombia attended a workshop organized by CATIE on sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in Turrialba, Costa Rica. For the full story, click here.

Workshop on Community Land and Resources Rights in Interlaken, Switzerland

October 4, 2013

FCMC Deputy SES Task Lead Janis Alcorn particpated in a workshop aimed at identifying opportunities for advancing community land and resource rights. To read the full story, click here.

Peru Environment Ministry workshop on increasing capacity for forest monitoring

September 20, 2013

FCMC contributed to a technical workshop held by the Peruvian Environment Ministry to support capacity development for their forest carbon monitoring system. For the full story, click here.

FCMC's MRV work advances in Colombia

July 29, 2013

The FCMC MRV Team traveled to Colombia from July 22-29 to meet with colleagues and attend a workshop on jurisdictional and nested REDD+. For the full story, click here.

Continued collaboration with IUCN's Natural Resource Governance Framework

July 24, 2013

FCMC SES Deputy Task Lead Janis Alcorn participated in the Inception Workshop for IUCN's Natural Resource Governance Framework. For the full story, click here.

Community-based Forest Monitoring Workshop in Ecuador

July 19, 2013

The FCMC MRV Team contributed to workshop on community-based monitoring held in Tena, Ecuador July 16-19. For the full story, click here.

FCMC's MRV Task Advances Work on Regional Capacitation and Manual Development

July, 2013

The Measurement, Reporting and Verification Task of FCMC has made significant progress in recent months on country-level capacity building and knowledge management with a global reach. For the full story on these updates, click here.

AGRC REDD+ Competencies Framework Technical Review Workshop

July 11, 2013

FCMC and Conservation International hosted a workshop in Front Royal, Virginia in July 2013 to conduct a technical review of the Alliance for Global REDD+ Capacity (AGRC)'s forthcoming REDD+ Competencies Framework. For the full story, click here.

REDD+ Safeguards Workshop in Honduras

June 12, 2013

FCMC helped organize a workshop in Honduras to contribute to their development of a national safeguards system for REDD+. For the full story, click here.

Updates on LEDS Activity in Huila, Colombia

June, 2013

Since June 2012, FCMC has been supporting Huila 2050: Preparing for Climate Change, a project that aims to develop a climate change action plan for the Huila region of Colombia, through FCMC’s Low Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS) Task. To read more about the first year of this activity, please click here .

FCMC Participates in Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Workshop

June 15, 2013

Robert O'Sullivan, FCMC Task Lead for Finance and Carbon Markets, participated in a workshop on Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Issues held in Manaus, Brazil June 13-15. Click here for the full story.

AGRC Presents at 38th UNFCCC SBSTA Side Event

June 6, 2013

The Alliance for Global REDD+ Capacity, with support from FCMC, organized a side event around the 38th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice of the UNFCCC. The event was organized to discuss and present AGRC's forthcoming REDD+ Competencies Framework. Click here for the full story.

FCMC and the Forests Dialogue on REDD+ Benefit-Sharing

June 6, 2013

On June 6, The Forests Dialogue and the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that they had received an additional $600,000 in funding to support future TFD events on REDD+ Benefit-Sharing. Dr. Paula J. Williams, FCMC Senior Director of Social and Environmental Soundness, weighs in on FCMC's collaboration with the Forests Dialogue. Click here for the full story.

Resources and Information from the Learning Initiative for Social Assessment of REDD+ (LISA-REDD)

May, 2013

FCMC is a member of the Learning Initiative for Social Assessment of REDD+, a consortium of international partners that provides methods and guidance for assessing the potential and actual social, cultural and economic impacts resulting from the implementation of national and sub-national REDD+ programs and helps key stakeholders design, implement, and build support for effective, efficient and equitable REDD+. Click here for more information about LISA-REDD, including a Social Assessment Methods Review and presentations and materials from a workshop held in Nairobi in May of 2012.

Side Event on Tools for REDD+ Capacity Building at SBSTA Meeting in Bonn

June 6, 2013

The Alliance for Global REDD+ Capacity (AGRC) is hosting a Side Event at next week's meetings of the UNFCCC's Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) in Bonn, Germany. Click here to view a postcard advertising the event, and click here to read more about AGRC and its forthcoming REDD+ Competencies Framework.

FCMC Co-organizes CARPE Technical Toolkit Workshop

May 16, 2013

FCMC assisted in the organization of a technical workshop for the USAID's Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE). The workshop addressed REDD+ themes and including case studies from projects at landscape and jurisdictional levels. For a full story on the workshop, as well as the presentations delivered, click here.

FCMC Assists in IUCN's Natural Resource Governance Workshop

May 16, 2013

FCMC Deputy Task Lead for Social and Environmental Soundness, Janis Alcorn, assisted in a planning meeting for the Natural Resource Governance Framework put forth by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). For a full story on the workshop, click here.

Article on FCMC's work in the Huila region of Colombia on development of a Climate Change Action Plan

May 4, 2013

Claudia Martinez, Director of Grupo E3, a subcontractor for FCMC in Colombia, was interviewed by the local publication Diario del Huila on her work over the last year to develop a climate change action plan for the region. To view the full article (in Spanish) click here. Check back soon for more information and updates regarding FCMC's work in Huila.

Workshop Report and Materials available from Southeast Asia Regional Training on Social and Environmental Soundness of REDD+

November 9, 2012

A training workshop on Social and Environmental Soundness of REDD+ Programming and Implementation was conducted from November 5 to 9, 2012, at the USAID Asia Regional Training Center (ARTC) in Bangkok, Thailand. The goals and objectives were to integrate key principles, approaches, applications, experience and lessons for social and environmental soundness in relevant natural resource management sectors. For a comprehensive report on the training workshop, click here. To access the presentations and materials from the training, click here.

FCMC Contributes to FCPF’s second and third Methodological Framework Design Forums

April 25, 2013

As part of FCMC's ongoing collaboration with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, Finance and Carbon Markets Director Robert O'Sullivan attended and contributed further development to the FCPF's second and third Methodological Design Forums. A brief summary of the events is available here.

Two Workshops on Finance and Carbon Markets

April 26, 2013

During the week of April 22nd - 26th, FCMC hosted two events to disseminate and communicate some of its recent Market Analysis work. The first event, co-hosted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, was held in coordination with their summit in New York City. Click here to view the agenda. The second event was held at the Tetra Tech offices in Arlington, VA. Click here to view the agenda for the DC workshop. For a full story about both events, click here.

14th RRI Dialogue: "Extractive Industries, Communities and Territorial Rights"

March 22, 2013

SES Deputy Task Lead Janis Alcorn participated in the 14th RRI dialogue on extractive industries and their implications for poverty reduction and climate change, held in Bogota, Colombia from March 21-22, 2013. Click here for a full story.

Announcement: Panel Discussion on Low-Carbon Development hosted by the GEF, UNEP, and Heinz Center

March 20, 2013

Click here to view a bulletin regarding an upcoming event in Washington, DC, organized by the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and Environment and the Global Environmental Facility. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 4:00-5:30pm at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Workshop hosted by FCMC and SilvaCarbon in Mexico covers national MRV strategies in Latin America

January 18, 2013

In January, 2013, MRV Deputy Task Lead Rishi Das represented FCMC in co-hosting the seventh regional MRV workshop alongwith SilvaCarbon in Merida, Mexico. Click here for a summary.

Contribution to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility's first Methodological Framework Design Forum

February 1, 2013

Click here for a brief story on FCMC's participation in the FCPF's Design Forum, held January 30 to February 1, 2013.

Presentation at the International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Annual Conference

January 24, 2013

Click here for a brief story on FCMC's participation in the ISTF Annual Conference, held on January 24, 2013 at Yale University in New Haven, CT.

FCMC Attends USAID Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Workshop

January 17, 2013

Click here for a brief story on FCMC's participation in the CBNRM Workshop, held January 16-17, 2013. Click here to view a postcard designed for the Workshop.

New Report Available from FCMC Implementing Partner Terra Global Capital

January 16, 2013

FCMC Implementing Partner Terra Global Capital has prepared the "Guidance and Best Practices for REDD+ Transactions Paper" through the FHI 360-managed FIELD-Support LWA and was designed to serve as a readable guide for REDD+ projects seeking guidance and best practices for REDD+ transactions, with a focus on private sources of REDD+ project financing. While markets have successfully tied carbon finance to other sectors, securing private investment remains a key challenge for REDD+ developers. In many cases, REDD+ developers lack familiarity with standards and expectations for commercial documents required by investors. This paper is intended to address that gap. For more information, please contact Leslie Durschinger, Managing Director of Terra Global Capital.

Click here to access the report.

FCMC Assists Colombian Government in Preparation of a National REDD+ Safeguards Framework

December 18, 2012

In December 2012, Janis Alcorn, Deputy Task Lead for Social and Environmental Soundness (SES) visited Colombia to assist in the development of a National REDD+ Safeguards Framework. The Colombian Ministry of Environment (MINAM) published an article about the visit, which has been translated into English. The link to the original article, in Spanish, is also included below

The California Carbon Market and the Role of International Forests: A Primer on Risks and Opportunities for Institutional Investors

November 6, 2012

• Webcast held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
• Recording available via webcast host Institutional Investors Journal available here

Social Dimensions of REDD+: Current Practice and Challenges

October 21, 2011

• Experts Workshop, October 16-19, 2011
• Open Forum, October 21, 2011
  • Video feed from Forum proceedings available here
• Side Event to UNFCCC COP17 in Durban, South Africa
• Click here for more information on these events from the Natual Resources Management Portal

LISA-REDD+ Initiative Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya May 2012:

May 10, 2012

Expert Meeting on Social Impact Assessment Methodologies for National or Sub-National REDD+. Visit the Resources page for a flyer that provides more detailed information about LISA-REDD and a workshop report summarizing the accomplishments of the Nairobi meetings. Additional outputs from the iniative are forthcoming.