This issue of Carbon Market Perspectives discusses the role of carbon markets in scaling up investments for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in developing countries.

The critical role of REDD+ in contributing to the global objective of climate change mitigation is increasingly recognized. REDD+ offers significant potential for rapid and low-cost emission reductions, with the added co-benefits of biodiversity, water and soil conservation, as well as poverty reduction.

This volume brings together valuable experiences with REDD+, exploring in particular perspectives on the link between financial markets and payments for performance in delivering carbon benefits from forests and how to enable developing countries to engage in REDD+. It also explores the involvement of local communities and community-based efforts to reorganize the management of forests so that the multiple benefits produced include carbon gains as well as livelihoods.

Nine articles, authored by experienced negotiators on REDD+, carbon market actors, project developers and other leading experts, share experiences and make suggestions on the key elements of a future international REDD+ regime including:

• Architecture and underlying principles,
• measuring, reporting and verification (MRV),
• private-sector involvement,
• the rights of indigenous people and local communities,
• biodiversity conservation and
• environmental integrity.

The articles are grouped under three main topics:

• the lessons existing REDD+ projects;
• the future REDD+ regime and the role of carbon markets; and
• experiences and ideas about the involvement of indigenous people and local communities

Read Pathways for implementing REDD+: experiences from carbon markets and communities.