- ODA funding for REDD+ projects in the DRC has increased in size and diversity of donors between 2010-2021, with an average of $11.4 million committed and $8.11 million disbursed per year. However, the DRC's disbursement rate is lower than the global average. - A new major donor is the Bezos Earth Fund (private development fund), which disbursed 100% of committed funds. Large institutions like development banks have low disbursement rates (<50%). - There are currently 2 REDD+ projects in the DRC generating an estimated $31.6 million annually from trading carbon credits in the voluntary carbon market, compared to $8

1. Landscape of REDD+ Funding
Disbursements in DRC
and Updates on REDD+ projects
Dr. Stibniati Atmadja, CIFOR-ICRAF
s.atmadja@cifor-icraf.org
17 October 2023
University of Kinshasa

2. Background
How has public and private funds
contributed to financing REDD+ in
DRC?
• 1st SciPol Dialogue (Dec 2022)
• Analyzing ODA until 2019
• How much funds were
committed?
• Who were the main donors
and channels?
• How does DRC compare to
other countries?
• General overview of REDD+
projects globally

3. Background
• Now: 2nd SciPol Dialogue (Oct
2023)
• Analyzing ODA until 2021
• How much funds were
committed vs. disbursed?
• How does DRC compare to
other countries?
• Are actors linked to
disbursement rate?
• General overview of REDD+
projects in DRC
• Ongoing and new projects
OECD-CRS data
tagged for REDD+
activities using
keywords
ID-RECCO database
updated using
Verra registry

4. Finance from where?
Public
Private
This presentation: Developed country contributions: ODA transfers (‘REDD+
Aid’) and Voluntary Carbon Markets/VCM (‘REDD+ Market)
There are others not included (e.g., domestic funds, regional funds)
Private
(since
2021)

5. REDD+ ODA Funding: Committed vs. Disbursed
Definition (OECD)
Commitme
nt
“commitment is a firm obligation,
expressed in writing and backed by the
necessary funds, undertaken by an official
donor to provide specified assistance to a
recipient country or a multilateral
organization”
Disbursem
ent
“the release of funds to or the purchase of
goods or services for a recipient; by
extension, the amount thus spent.
Disbursements record the actual
international transfer of financial
resources, or of goods or services valued
at the cost to the donor.”
Expectation:
• Commitments are Disbursed (100%
rate)
But
• Commitments often are not
disbursed (<100% rate)
Why? Some possibilities
• Donor conditions (procurement, co-
financing, aid-effectiveness),
• Recipient capacity (programming,
fund absorption),
• Both sides’ bureaucratic and
technical delays [1]
[1] Savvidou, G. "Quantifying international public finance
for climate change adaptation in Africa." Climate
Policy 21.8 (2021): 1020-1036. (link)

6. REDD+ ODA Funding: Committed vs. Disbursed – comparison across time
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Global
Commitment Disbursement % Disbursed
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
0
10
20
30
40
50
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
RDC
Commitment Disbursement % Disbursed
Global REDD+ ODA: 98% disbursed
USD 9b committed, 8.3b disbursed
RDC REDD+ ODA: 71% disbursed
USD 139m committed, 97m disbursed
Ave. $11,4m/year committed,
$8,11m/year disbursed
Increased funding in 2020-2021 (Global + DRC)

7. REDD+ ODA Funding: Committed vs. Disbursed in DRC
UK
0%
Spain
0%
Canada
1%
France
3%
USA
4%
Korea
6%
Belgium
9%
Sweden
10%
Norway
15%
GEF
6%
CIF
22%
Arcus
Foundation
0,0%
Bezos Earth
Fund
19%
UNDP
5%
REDD+ ODA Fund (Committed)
2010-2021, USD 139m
UK
5%
Spain
0%
Canada
1%
France
0%
USA
3% Korea
0%
Belgium
12%
Sweden
14%
Norway
16%
GEF
0%
CIF
15%
Arcus Foundation
0,1%
Bezos Earth Fund
27%
UNDP
7%
REDD+ ODA Fund (Disbursed)
2010-2021, USD 97m
New major donor: Bezos Earth Fund
100% disbursed
9 donors = 95% commitments
(Vs 4 donors by 2019)

8. International
NGO
University,
college, etc
Donor country-
based NGO
UN
Agencies/funds/
commissions
Regional
Development
Bank
Public sector
institutions
WB Group
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
%
Disbursed
USD
Million
(defl)
Funding channels
REDD+ Funds for DRC by Funding Channel
2010-2021
Commitment Disbursement % Dibursed
100%
REDD+ ODA Funding: Funding channels
• Channel = first implementing
partner
• Foreign CSOs have high
disbursement rates (Small,
nimble?)
• ‘Large’ institutions (e.g.,
development banks, public
sector institutions) = low
disbursement rates (<=50%)
• Largest channel: UN Agencies <
DRC average disbursement
rates (65%)
• There is no local NGO?

9. Summary
2010-2021
• ODA funding in DRC increased in size and
diversity of donors
• Ave. $11,4m/year committed, $8,11m/year
disbursed
• DRC: Lower disbursement rate compared to
Global REDD+ funds
• New major player: Bezos Earth Fund (Private
Development Fund), 100% disbursement
• Large portion of DRC REDD+ funds are
channeled through foreign CSOs – high
disbursement rates.
• Lack of local CSOs as channel – why?
• Large portion of committed REDD+ funds go
through development banks – low (<50%)
disbursement rates
• Why?

10. Quick Update on REDD+ Projects in DRC
Evolution
• 2014: 14 projects
• 2020: 3 projects, certified
VCS/CCB and CDM, trading
credits on VCM
• 2023: 4 additional in the
VCS pipeline
2 huge projects
Increase the area in projects
from 491 thousand ha to 4,9
million (10x)
Name
Certification
status Area (Ha)
Est. Annual
Emission
Reductions
Isangi REDD+ project
Certified - VCS +
CCB
187,571 324,534
The Mai N'dombe REDD+
Project
Certified - VCS 299,640 5,671,613
Ibi-Bateke Certified - CDM 4,129 54,511
DRC REDD+ Carbon Credit
Harvesting Project
Under validation -
VCS
1,346,360 27,604,998
Kokolopori Bonobo Peace
Forest Grouped REDD ProjectUnder dev’t - VCS 421,000 1,047,213
Tshopo Lomami Grouped
REDD Project
Under validation -
VCS
446,080 2,944,128
Sankuru Peace Forest
Grouped REDD Project
Under validation -
VCS 2,190,831
7,390,562

11. REDD+ Projects in DRC – Trading from VCM
Name
Est. Annual
Emission
Reductions
Annual
ave. traded
in VCMa
Ratio
estimated
vs. Traded
Est. Traded
(ratio 0,53)
Isangi REDD+ project 324,534 173 953 1: 0.54 173 953
The Mai N'dombe
REDD+ Project 5,671,613
2 985 330 1: 0.53 2 985 330
Ibi-Bateke
54,511
ND
28 690
DRC REDD+ Carbon
Credit Harvesting
Project
27,604,998
n/a
14 528 946
Kokolopori Bonobo
Peace Forest Grouped
REDD Project 1,047,213
n/a
551 165
Tshopo Lomami
Grouped REDD Project 2,944,128
n/a
1 549 541
Sankuru Peace Forest
Grouped REDD Project 7,390,562
n/a
3 889 769
2 projects trading
currently
• ave. 3,16
mtCO2e/yr
• Assume $10/tCO2e
= $31,6
million/year
• 1 traded from 1,9
estimated ER
• Projected:
$230,7million/year
aSource: https://registry.verra.org/app/search/VCS/VCUs

12. Summary
• The 2 REDD+ projects currently trading in the
VCM generates an estimated $31,6
million/year
• Compared with ODA: $8,11m/year disbursed
• 4 projects in the pipeline, of which 2 are huge
• Increases area in REDD+ project by 10x
• Potentially increases funding from carbon
credits to $ 230,7 million/year
• Who benefits? Who provides oversight?
• All new proponents are US/based
• Community associations/local government
not proponent

13. Key message
• Private funding is starting to take a prominent
role in DRC’s REDD+ landscape
• Via ODA and VCM
• ODA disbursement is lower than global level
• Local civil society is absent
• Who benefits? Who provides oversight?
• Role for stronger civil society and legal
systems

14. Merci!