Vanuatu Carbon Credits Project

Summary

The Vanuatu Carbon Credits Project (VCCP), initiated in December 2006, marked the inception of REDD+ in Vanuatu. It was central to the country’s initial engagement with both the international climate negotiations and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank. It was originally established in response to requests from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for pilot REDD+ activities that could help provide lessons for the formulation of international policy. However, once established, it became clear that such pilot projects could not be implemented without prior capacity building and other REDD+ readiness efforts and the VCCP subsequently shifted its focus.

Phase 1 of the VCCP included the following activities: identification of the capacity building needs for national and project-based carbon monitoring; a national forest area change assessment; the initial identification of REDD activities to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Vanuatu; and, the design of potential incentive mechanisms to be incorporated into REDD projects of programmes. Phase 1 also involved a series of consultations with landowners in local communities to improve understanding of community development and to establish a set of Socio-Economic Good Practice Guidelines for REDD+ activities in the project’s second phase

At the end of the first phase of the project in February 2008, following completion of the first national forest area change assessment, a workshop with key stakeholders was held to mark the end of Phase 1 and the start of Phase 2. Key stakeholders included members of the former National Advisory Committee on Climate Change (NACCC), members of the VCCP’s International Technical Advisory Team, and representatives from Vanuatu’s private and non-governmental sectors. This workshop provided the mandate for developing Vanuatu’s Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN). Although the VCCP, in its official capacity, was obstructed by a lack of funds throughout Phase 2, the R-PIN was formulated and submitted to the FCPF. This was ultimately endorsed by the FCPF in 2009, enabling Vanuatu to access US $200,000 for the development of its Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP).

The first phase of the VCCP, including the roadmap workshop marking the start of Phase 2, was funded with NZ$ 382,360, provided by a variety of donors including Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, the UK Government Global Opportunities Fund, the International Science and Technology (ISAT) linkages fund of the New Zealand Royal Society and the German Government, and the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment.