The agriculture, forestry, and land use (AFOLU) sector accounts for 23% global greenhouse gas emissions and is hence an important point of intervention. 75% of newly updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have included measures in the AFOLU sector, with several developing countries listing REDD+ as the priority mechanism.

This paper examines how UNDP’s Global Project on Support to REDD+ Implementation (designated as “the project”, launched in 2018) has navigated the complex challenge of supporting forested developing countries in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Drawing on findings from its 2022 midterm evaluation (“the evaluation”), we analyse three key elements that have proven essential for effective implementation the project has sought to employ: 1) application of adaptive management frameworks; 2) integration of risk mitigation approaches; and 3) embedding sustainability through innovative finance. We also review individual UNDP projects in Indonesia and Myanmar, and identify challenges faced as well as lessons learned to inform future REDD+ implementation.

While REDD+ has gained broad multilateral support, its implementation remains highly contested. Critics point to systemic weaknesses, including weak accountability for financial flows, exclusion of Indigenous voices, and methodological flaws in emissions baselining. This paper focuses on perspectives from UNDP evaluations but also makes notes of wider critiques to explore operational lessons and structural tensions underlying REDD+ as a mechanism.