REDD+ is an international framework whose name stands for "Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation of the existing forest carbon stocks, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks".
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for about 12% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and are therefore a major contributor to climate change.
The REDD+ framework incentivizes developing countries either to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or to increase the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by forest land. Furthermore, REDD+ can generate other substantial benefits in addition to mitigating climate change. These could, for example, include positive impacts on biodiversity, climate change adaptation, low-emission development, and strengthening forest peoples’ rights and livelihoods. REDD+ can also stimulate private-sector action, and enable cooperation with businesses to reduce deforestation associated with the production of key global commodities. It can do this by providing additional incentives for sustainable land and forest management, as well as for investments in land-use governance, land tenure and land-use planning, and forest-monitoring capacity.