At the REDD+ Day of CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, the UN-REDD Programme launched its second policy brief focusing on the multiple benefits and safeguards under REDD+.

The UN-REDD Programme Policy Brief, entitled "REDD+ Beyond Carbon: Supporting Decisions on Safeguards and Multiple Benefits", elaborates on the use of tools and data to support decisions, and presents examples from implementation in REDD+ countries. 

REDD+ is increasingly considered to have the potential to contribute to a range of policy goals in addition to climate change mitigation in the forestry sector. It is also recognized that there are social and environmental risks that may arise as the REDD+ mechanism is being implemented. 

What has been less widely acknowledged is that avoiding significant risks and securing additional benefits from REDD+ could be the key to the overall success of the mechanism. By securing benefits beyond carbon, REDD+ can draw support from broader social and political constituencies; demonstrate that it enables a wider range of values to be realized; and generates sustainable income sources.

For governments and other stakeholders to adopt a broader approach to REDD+, a strong evidence base is needed to demonstrate that additional benefits will indeed be achieved, and contributions to national and local priorities accomplished. The Policy Brief outlines a series of analytical approaches that can help provide an evidence base to inform REDD+ decisions. It focuses on addressing environmental risks and benefits, and provides examples from Panama, Nigeria, the DRC and Indonesia of where these approaches are already used.

French and Spanish versions of the UN-REDD Programme's Multiple Benefits Policy Brief will be available on the UN-REDD website in December.

.