Valorando Naturaleza Live Streamed Launch From Bogota

A group of experts convened to address issues surrounding the upcoming climate conference in Peru at the Bogotá Regional Exchange hosted by Valorando Naturaleza and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon. The Exchange took place February 27th and 28th.

A group of experts convened to address issues surrounding the upcoming climate conference in Peru at the Bogotí¡ Regional Exchange hosted by Valorando Naturaleza and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon. The Exchange took place February 27th and 28th.

25 February 2014 | As the region prepares for hosting the 20th climate negotiations of the UNFCC in Peru at the end of the year, with ambitions of clearly defining the role of land use and forestry in the agreement on global greenhouse gas emissions, there is a need to translate decisions from Warsaw’s COP19 into clear actions and implementation strategies. These actions will affect and involve efforts of many regional actors from governments, business leaders, donors, scientists, NGOs and community leaders, who all want to contribute to the process.

Forest Trends’ Valorando Naturaleza (VN) and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon (ICAA) have organized a regional exchange called “Reviewing the COP19 results on climate change and the state of economic incentive programs for ecosystem services”. The event starts February 27th and will end tomorrow in Bogota, Colombia. It will be live streamed here on VN.

This event will also launch our platform of information on environmental services for Latin America, ValorandoNaturaleza.org, Spanish langurage sister site to Ecosystem Marketplace.

A collection of articles recently published on our website are now available in our first Insights booklet called ‘Forest carbon in 2014: Implications and opportunities for Latin America.

Perspectives and objectives

The event will focus on current critical issues for the region. One of the main objectives regarding forest carbon will be to better understand the implications of the decisions made during the COP19, and to integrate stakeholders goals to the steps towards COP20 in programs and projects at the national, sub-national and private level.

Given the strong participation of Latin America in the voluntary carbon market and the prevalence of REDD+ projects in the region, the exchange provides a key opportunity for those present to propose ways to improve financing and implementation of such projects in the dynamic context surrounding REDD+ in these early months of the year. And to do so while taking into account that successful initiatives are those that include holistic strategies that measure carbon sequestration capacity or water quality, but also have activities focused on people, the environment and processes related to governance and finance.

Close to eighty experts from 11 countries in Latin America, United Kingdom and United States, including officials from national and regional governments, indigenous peoples, bilateral and multilateral support institutions, project developers, associations, producers, NGOs, and representatives of the private sector will participate in the exchange.

In order to multiply the capacity of the South-South exchanges without increasing our carbon footprint, we will broadcast live from our website. The discussion will be facilitated via twitter and Facebook where participants will have the opportunity to ask questions remotely.

After the event, ValorandoNaturaleza.org will publish articles on key topics of the discussion, linked to presentations and panel discussions, and interviews with the attendees.

Structure of the discussions

Priorities of the group will be defined through discussion panels placed after stimulating presentations divided into the following four modules:

Module 1: Results from COP19 and implications for Latin America introduced by the following presenters:

  • Jenny Wong and Willy Alarcí³n from the UNFCCC secretariat
  • Milagros Sandoval, Manager of the Environmental Policies, Conservation International Peru
  • Regional REDD negotiators Elvira Gí³mez, MINAM – Peru, Iví¡n Valencia, MADS – Colombia, and íngel Valverde, MAE – Ecuador.

Module 2: Financial flows monitored in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru for REDD+ through the REDDX Initiative, presented by:

  • Roberto Leí³n Gomez from Fundacií³n Natura – Colombia
  • Martha Echavarrí­a from EcoDecisií³n
  • José Luis Capella from the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law.

And a special presentation by Sarah Lowery from Public and Private Finance Initiative of Forest Trends, covering examples of comprehensive finance for low emission rural development.

Module 3: Innovative initiatives and lessons learned on ecosystem services development and finance in Latin America will begin with a presentation by Phil Covell, of Forest Trends, highlighting findings from two annual reports on the state of water investments and biodiversity. This will be followed by highlights from four countries in the region:

  • Rosa Marí­a Vida, Pronatura Sur – Mexico
  • Felipe Carazo, Fundecor – Costa Rica
  • Marta Echavarria, Ecuador and
  • Cecilia Sandoval, CONDESAN – Peru.

Galo Medina, TNC Ecuador, will lead the discussion panel of the module.

Module 4 aims to better understand the different perspectives of state governments, indigenous and local communities, and the private sector regarding the use of economic incentives for conservation and management of ecosystems in Latin America.

Module 4 starts with insights into projects and initiatives from Brazil with

  • Pedro Soares of IDESAM and Alberto Tavares of the Development of Ecosystem Services Company, presenting on two leading states in the Brazilian Amazon, Acre and Amazonas, and the first indigenous project to sell REDD credits in Brazil.
  • Plinio Pizango from AIDESEP will talk about the indigenous perspectives on REDD, considering the priorities and goals of the groups he represents;
  • Hoovert Carabalí­, Representative of the Community Council of Mí¡laga Bay will discuss a forests and fisheries project in Colombia;
  • Josefa Mesí­as, President of the Moyobamba Project Management Committee will describe her experience leading this community based water initiative; and finally
  • Erwin Palacios of Conservation International Colombia will talk about his experience with biodiversity, water and forest management programs in Colombia, Peru, and the rest of the region.

Luis Fernando Jara of PROFAFOR Ecuador will chair this discussion.

Module 4b will end this section with presentations focused on stakeholders from the private sector, with the participation of

  • Juliana Lopes, Director, Carbon Disclosure Project in Latin America
  • Zubair Zakir, Carbon Neutral Co.
  • Christian Dannecker, South Pole Carbon; and
  • Lucio Pedroni, of Carbon Decisions, linking activities in the private sector with the progress made in nesting and REDD+ jurisdictional work in the region.

Roberto Gí³mez Charry, Fundacion Natura Colombia will chair the discussion.

Alliances and Expected Outcomes

In the closing session, attendees will take the findings of the topics addressed in the event to prioritize actions so that funding, policies and strategies can increase the impact of initiatives, forest carbon programs, and other ecosystem services in the region. This will lead to the identification of key points for COP20 and areas where regional actors can create alliances and make contributions.

Watch the exchange online at Valorando Naturaleza or ICAA and participate with your questions and thoughts!

 

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