On Approaches of Identifying and Incentivizing Non-carbon Benefits in REDD+

The non-carbon benefits in REDD+ play a vital role in ensuring sustainable effects of REDD+ activities. The issue related to non-carbon benefits in REDD+ has become the main topic of REDD+ negotiation under UNFCCC. In this article the relationships between the types of non-carbon benefits and the national strategies of REDD+ are analyzed, focusing on the major topics discussed by related parties in the negotiations for non-carbon benefits in REDD+ , which include the decisions on non-carbon benefits of REDD+ activities in UNFCCC, the definitions of non-carbon benefits, as well as the relations between non-carbon benefits and factors of the types of REDD+ activities, the target geographical areas of REDD+ activities, and the allocation of REDD+ investment. On this basis, this paper puts forward the approaches to identify the types of non-carbon benefits at national level, including determining the drives for land use change based on the status of national development, identifying prior development regions from national demands, and selecting types of REDD+ activities according to the characteristics of prioritized regions; and the approaches to incentivize non-carbon benefits in accordance with the phases of activities and China's national condition. With reference to China's situations, we also present several suggestions for China to participate in the negotiation of REDD+ non-carbon benefits, such as integrating non-carbon benefit into the REDD + national strategy, safeguarding national sovereignty, emphasizing the additionality of non-carbon benefits versus the principle of safety and security, and providing the methodological guide.