The Letter of Intent between CAFI and the DRC

The first Letter of Intent (LOI) between the Government of the DRC and CAFI establishes a “cooperative partnership for the implementation of the DRC’s National REDD+ Framework Strategy and REDD+ Investment Plan over the 2016-2020 period”. The LOI was signed by the DRC’s Minister of Finance ; Norway’s Minister of Climate and the Environment; and the Multi Partner Trust Fund Office of UNDP. A high level signature ceremony was held in Geneva on 22 April 2016, the very day the Paris Agreement opened for signature, highlighting the importance of REDD+ in achieving ambitions under the UNFCCC. This ceremony concluded a negotiation process initiated in January 2016 according to a mutually agreed roadmap.

Eight ambitious policy objectives

With a general objective of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, this first LOI lays out principles and respective commitments of the parties. The DRC government commits to eight policy objectives, aligned with its REDD+ Investment Plan, addressing direct and indirect drivers of forest loss across different sectors, with an emphasis on transparency and participation.

Agriculture

An agricultural policy that contributes to rural development and national food security while limiting the current and future impact on forests

Wood energy

An energy policy of sustainable management of wood energy and partial substitute to the latter

Forests

A forest policy for sustainable management of forest resources by multiple stakeholders in the sector, including local and indigenous communities, with particular emphasis on forest law enforcement, governance and various local and community management models. DRC commits to strengthen oversight capacity in existing forest exploitation areas, and in areas where potential new concessions will be attributed, in order to apply the forest law

Mining and oil

REDD + standards for mining and oil investments in forest areas in order to prevent, reduce and otherwise offset their impacts on forests

Land-use planning

A land-use policy that organizes and optimizes the use of land and forest resources by the various national economic sectors, in respect of rights recognized in the DRC legal system, to reduce its impact thereof on forests, reduce conflicts and ensure sustainable development at national and local level

Land tenure

A land-tenure policy that is equitable, including with regard to gender, vulnerable people, local communities and indigenous peoples, and that could ensure sustainable and non-confrontational management of land and clarification of tenure rights, with the goal of limiting the conversion of forest lands

Population

Support the participatory implementation of the 2014‐2020 National Multi-sector Strategic Plan on Family Planning

Governance

Alignment of interventions in the country by the national public sector and the national and international private sector on REDD+ objectives; ensure transparency and consolidation of information as well as law enforcement in sectors relevant to REDD+

Concrete, measurable milestones

The eight objectives of the LOI are broken down into concrete and measurable milestones : 29 “intermediate milestones” to be reached by the end of 2018 and 13 “final milestones” by 2020.

For example, the two intermediate milestones for the "Wood energy" objective are :

• Completion of a feasibility study on alternative energies to substitute to wood-energy in urban areas, including renewable energies;
• Baseline studies conducted in Kinshasa and areas targeted by integrated programmes regarding energy production, consumption and efficiency in connection with the use of wood resources.

while its three 2020 milestones are:

• Energy policy revised to include a sub-component aimed at sustainable management of wood-energy and developing alternatives to wood-energy;
• Improved cook stoves disseminated and made use of in 10% of households (weighted average) in Kinshasa and provincial capitals where integrated programmes have been implemented;
• Implementation of wood-energy projects around large urban centres, based on existing studies and pilots, acting along the full value chain in order to diversify supply away from natural forests (sustainable plantations and agroforestry), improve carbonization efficiency through adapted technologies, and supporting the necessary policy and regulatory reforms, etc;

Funding at scale conditioned on results

CAFI pledged a financial commitment of US$ 200 million, including US$190 million to the FONAREDD in two tranches. The first tranche (US$ 120 million) is released as programming needs are demonstrated, while the second tranche (US$ 70 million) is disbursed if the intermediate 2018 milestones are satisfactorily met. These milestones will be verified independently following a methodological document to be jointly elaborated by DRC and CAFI.

This LOI was the first signed between CAFI and one of its partner countries, and the largest one ever signed on REDD+ in the region.