22 March 2014: The Fifteenth Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) Dialogue on Forests, Governance, and Climate Change convened at the Newseum in Washington, DC, US, on 19 March 2014, under the theme of “Challenges of Carbon Rights and Implementing the New Warsaw Agreement on REDD+.” Approximately 100 participants attended the event, with over 500 more (from 65 countries) engaging virtually through a live webcast.

During the dialogue, presentations and discussions focused on four topics: what happened in Warsaw and the implications for carbon rights and safeguards; the status of forest carbon rights today; the World Bank Methodological Framework; and the way forward on carbon rights, safeguards and REDD.

Speakers discussed the challenges of establishing carbon rights and their linkages with land tenure. The adequacy of safeguards and when such safeguards should come into force was also discussed. Speakers also noted that the REDD+ preparation process has introduced changes in policymaking in some countries, while others noted that, in other countries, forest rights were threatened before the REDD+ agreement and questioned whether too much is being asked from the preparation process. Speakers also noted that work remains to create the investor confidence needed for carbon trade to occur, and that, in order for carbon trade to occur, it must be very clear who the seller is, who the owner is and what exactly the commodity being sold is. [IISD RS Summary of RRI 15]