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The REDD Offset Working Group as the title states, is the result of a group of governmental and non-governmental organizations working on the intersection of forest protection in the States that are signers of the Governors Climate and Forest Task Force. The Workshops are being held in California. The following is a summary of its goals:

The “REDD+ Offset Working Group”(ROW) was established in February 2011 as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2010 between the Governors of California, Chiapas and Acre, as part of a collaborative effort to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (known as “REDD+”).  Deforestation and forest degradation account for approximately 20% of the world’s annual GHG emissions. Any comprehensive effort to reduce the impacts of climate change will require significant global cooperation to reduce GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Mission

The ROW was tasked to answer three central questions including:

1. What legal and institutional mechanisms are required to enable California to  recognize international REDD-based emission offsets for compliance purposes?
2. What are the key policy considerations a sectoral REDD program should address to achieve the level of performance needed for California to recognize the REDD-based offsets for compliance purposes?
3. What should be the bases for judging the performance of the states in reducing carbon removals from forests?