originated based on the amount of hectares of slash and burn agriculture that is avoided multiplied by the amount of carbon stock in the forest that is saved. Success will depend on providing the necessary incentives to
communities to avoid shifting agriculture and its corresponding deforestation.
Biochar for enhanced soil fertility and carbon storage
The average amount of reductions is assumed to be 3% against the baseline. Carbon origination amounts will be derived by the amount of the reduction in the deadwood pool that is effectively converted into stable carbon for storage. Additionally, during the project design phase, the ER-‐Program will analyse how many hectares of
deforestation is avoided by the increase of sedentary agriculture as a result of the biochar activity (due to enhanced fertility after the introduction of biochar to the soils).
Improved charcoal production efficiency
The average amount of reductions is assumed to be 1.5% as compared to the baseline. Carbon origination amounts will be derived based on the reduction of wood biomass that would otherwise be needed to produce the same amount of charcoal. The technology being proposed is estimated to halve the amount of wood feedstock that would otherwise be needed thus decreasing the amount of deforestation by a corresponding amount.
Sustainable Forest Management: Reduced Impact Logging
This activity is not expected to produce significant origination amounts at this time. It is understood that RIL reduces total stand damage in the Congo basin between 3%-‐7%; if there is sufficient uptake of RIL by concessionaires, then it will be included in the ER-‐P.
Sustainable Forest Management: Conversion of logged forests to protected forests
The average amount of reductions is assumed to be 2.5% as compared to the baseline. The success of the avoiding planned degradation results largely in the ability of the ER-‐Program to convince the current range of logging companies to set-‐aside a portion of their normal harvesting activities for conservation and carbon origination. A low value therefore represents less surface area then anticipated to be included in the project area as well as reduced uptake of additional sustainable forest management practices. Alternatively, the high value represents the success of increasing the amount of dedicated set-‐asides.
Green Mining (protected areas)
The average amount of reductions is assumed to be 5.5% as compared to the baseline. The amount of carbon emission reductions originated from this activity will depend on the size of the concession that Congo Iron will purchase from the RoC to set aside for conservation purposes.
Afforestation/Reforestation (including community Agroforestry)
The average amount of reductions is assumed to be insignificant and is thus excluded. Afforestation/reforestation and agroforestry activity generally produced only small amounts of carbon origination in the early years of the activity.
High Efficiency Cook Stoves
Mitigation Activity Estimated Annual Emission Reductions (tCO2e)
Estimated Emissions as a percentage of the annual
REL
Estimated Emission Reductions until 2020
Average Low High Average
Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation &
Degradation
Cocoa production avoiding unplanned
deforestation 902,655 593,311 1,101,862 7.924% 4,513,273.75
Biochar 361,062 243,915 452,985 3.170% 1,805,309.50
Improved charcoal production efficiency 180,531 56,172 104,319 1.585% 902,654.75 High Efficiency Cook Stoves Not Expected to be significant
Avoiding Planned Degradation -‐
SFM-‐ Reduced Impact Logging -‐ Not Expected to be significant SFM -‐ Conversion of logged forests to protected
forests 270,796 188,720 350,480 2.377% 1,353,982.13
Green Mining (protected areas) 631,858 436,100 809,900 5.547% 3,159,291.63
Sinks
Afforestation/Reforestation (including
community Agroforestry) Not Expected to be significant
Totals 2,346,902 1,518,217
2,819,546 11,734,512
All values are subject to change as the ER-‐Program develops and additional project proponents are included.
12.2 Volume proposed for the FCPF Carbon Fund
Please explain the portion of the expected ERs that would be offered to the Carbon Fund, and if other carbon finance providers or buyers have been identified to date, the portions of the expected ERs that would be offered to them.
The Republic of Congo anticipates that as that all of the originated emission reductions could be sold to the FCPF Carbon Fund through 2020. The RoC expects upfront payment form the FCPF Carbon Fund amounting to 10% of the nominal value of the ERPA to be paid in three installments over a three-‐year period.
Currently no other buyers of the credits have been identified, however this is as a result that no marketing efforts to date have been conducted as the ER-‐PIN project has been only under formal development for less than one year. As noted in the ER-‐PIN, the RoC would seek to create international linkages with other regional GHG programs in order to allow RoC carbon credits access to overseas-‐regulated markets. Additionally, as the ER-‐P will seek validation and verification under the VCS JNR program, additional voluntary buyers will be sought.
13. Preliminary assessment of the proposed ER Program in the context of the national Strategic
Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) and the Environmental and Social Management
Framework (ESMF)
113.1 Progress on SESA/ESMF
Please describe the country's progress in the implementation of SESA and the development of the ESMF, and their contribution or relationship to the proposed ER Program.
The CN-‐REDD has hired a social development expert in July of 2013 responsible for the SESA process. His mission will be to coordinate all of the activities related to risk assessment and mitigation measures for REDD+ activities with an interest in producing the SESA, the ESMF and the five associated frameworks by June 2015. This expert will benefit from the support of an international firm whose contract is currently under negotiation. BRL Ingénierie and ONF International would normally be able to begin the initial mission in May 2014. The working methodology as proposed by the consultant firm combines analytical works, consultation and participation processes in the field. For each of the major milestones in the process, a separate validation will be conducted through participatory and inclusive workshops.
On the other hand, the work will build on the experiences observed in the DRC. Since his recruitment, the social development expert for CN-‐REDD regularly is meeting with his colleagues from the DRC.
13.2 Incorporation of SESA outputs and/or outcomes into the proposed ER Program
Based on the progress outlined in 7.1, please describe how the proposed ER Program is expected to make use of the outputs and/or outcomes of the SESA process. Provide an analysis of the ways in which activities planned under the proposed ER Program will rely on the measures and procedures included or to be included in the ESMF. Are there likely to be any gaps or issues regarding the compliance of the proposed ER Program activities with applicable safeguard standards, including the UNFCCC safeguards?
All of the safeguard instruments that will be derived from the SESA process will apply to all of the REDD+ activities under the ER-‐Program. The compliance with these instruments will be an eligibility criterion to be part of the benefit-‐sharing plan of the ER-‐Program.
1 The SESA is the assessment process to be used in FCPF REDD+ countries during R-‐PP implementation and REDD+ readiness
preparation. The ESMF is an output of SESA that provides a framework to examine the issues and impacts associated with projects, activities, and/or policies/regulations that may occur in the future in connection with the implementation of the national REDD+ strategy but that are not known at the present time.