Ethiopia launched a Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy in 2011 that aims at building a climate resilient economy with zero net national emissions while keeping the fast economic growth to reach a middle income country by 2025.The national GHG emissions was estimated at 150 million tCO2e at 2010, and with business-as-usual scenario the emission will reach at 400million tCO2e by 2030. In 2010, over 85% of the emission originates from land use sector, with 50% from agriculture sector and 37% from deforestation and forest degradation. The major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation are agricultural expansion and unsustainable fuel wood extraction.
Ethiopia is a REDD+ participant country in the forest carbon partnership facility (FCPF) of the world bank. 
Unlike most REDD+ countries, REDD+ in Ethiopia is an integral part of a bigger climate resilient green economy (CRGE). Ethiopia's CRGE strategy provides targets for reducing emissions and increasing climate resilience in 8 key sectors and compliments the countries ambitious Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP, 2010/11-2014/15). REDD+ is one of the four pillars of the CRGE strategy with an abatement potential of 130MtCO2eand contributing significantly towards achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2030. Ethiopia initiated a readiness preparation proposal (R-PP) in April 2010 and got it approved in October 2, The country obtained a readiness fund, USD 3.6million, from the FCPF of the World Bank. Additional USD10million readiness support was provided by the government of Norway and UK with the world bank as financial trustee. Ethiopia's REDD+ readiness phase was launched in January 2013 and is expected to be completed in June 2016.A national REDD+ Secretariat is spearheading the readiness process.
The National REDD+ Secretariat
Established
In January 2013(fully functionalsinceJune2013)
Responsible
For overall coordination of the national REDD+ Readiness Process
Accountable
To the State Minister for the Forest Sector under the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Staffing
Currently, a total of 11 full time staff are actively engaged. The team is lead by a national Coordinator;3 technical staff (an Environmental Safeguard specialist, a Pilots Coordinator and an MRV Specialist)and 6 administrative staff (an M&E specialist, Procurement Specialist, Communications Specialist, Financial Management Specialist, IT Specialist, Administration Officer, a Secretary and 3 support staff). Additional technical staff (REDD+ Technical Advisor and Social Safeguard specialist) will join the team soon.
Budget
A total of USD 13.6million
Features Of Ethiopia's REDD+
The scope of REDD+ in Ethiopia will include activities aim at reducing emission from deforestation; reducing forest degradation, forest conservation, sustainable forest management, and the enhancement of carbon stocks. As part of the earlier activities of afforestation and reforestation(A/R) indifferent parts of Ethiopia, the '+' aspect of REDD+ will be given special attention in future activities. A/R activities that will be included in the REDD+ mechanism (as carbon stock enhancement) will provide incentives to regenerate forests in previously deforested areas. Ethiopia's REDD+ design and implementation is based on five cardinal principles:
Equity
REDD+ contributes to sustainable and equitable development by strengthening the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities
Effectiveness
REDD+ demonstrably contributes to green house gas emissions reductions with national goals working towards a global objective.
Accountability
REDD+ implementation is fully accountable to the people of Ethiopia and the international community in terms of relevance, process, funding, and results obtained.
Commitment
REDD+ implementation demonstrates Ethiopia's commitment to global climate change mitigation initiatives
Transparency
REDD+ activities are undertaken transparently to enable full understanding and opportunity for stakeholders to participate.
Status of RDD+ in Ethiopia
Management Arrangement
The National REDD+ Secretariat is responsible for the day today activity of the readiness phase. AREDD+ Steering Committee (RSC) provides overall direction, oversee activities and approves annual work plan and budget of the REDD+ Readiness process. A Technical Working Group (TWG) provides technical support while three Task Forces (TFs) closely follow up the development of the National REDD+ Strategy, SESA/ESMF and MRV System development process. A regional REDD+ management unit and the appropriate linkage with the national REDD+ Secretariat is soon to be worked out. Regional REDD+ management units are responsible for coordinating and implementation of sub-national REDD+ activities.
Studies and Documents
A series of analytical studies are being undertaken by a consortium of national and international consultants to inform the different components of the REDD+ program design.
Those include:
- Analysis of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and strategic options to address those
- The Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) and Environmental Social Management Framework(ESMF) formulation for the REDD+ Process in Ethiopia
- Analysis of the legal and institutional framework for REDD+ implementation is finalized & validated
- Developing a Reference Level (RL) and Designing an Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system
- Developing a Consultation and Participation Plan
REDD+ Strategy
A draft REDD+ Strategy is now finalized which will serve as a Forest Sector Reduction Mechanism. REDD+ strategy outlines a set of programs and policy actions to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and enhance/conserve forest carbon stocks by addressing the key drivers. Moreover, it lays out a strategic direction, proposes improvements needed in the legal framework and institutional arrangements that ensures smooth coordination among key government actors, among others.
Piloting
Piloting is part of the activities in the readiness phase aiming at drawing lessons that inform the formulation of the national REDD+ Strategy. Currently, a national pilot is being designed in the Oromia regional state.
Oromia Forested Landscape REDD+ Program
Is a national pilot officially launched in May 2014. It is a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Environment and Forest (REDD+ Secretariat) and the Regional State of Oromia (Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise). The World Bank is a trustee of the financial management and provide technical support.
Objective: Reduce deforestation and forest degradation and increase carbon sequestration on land throughout the State while contributing to improved livelihoods of the rural population.
Program Structure: Three phases :Design (2014-2015), Implementation (2015-2019) and Emission reduction phase (open ended).
Current Status: Four different studies (Reference Level, Drivers of D&D and Strategic options, Legal & institutional arrangement and Consultation and Participation plan) are finalized. The Design phase will come to an end soon and implementation phase will start early next year.
Budget: A total of 3million USD is invested for the design phase. An additional 50millionUSD is pledged by the government of Norway a portion of which will be used to support the implementation phase while the remaining investment will be used part of the payment for verified emission reductions generated by the project.
Additional Pilots: Three additional pilots are under establishment in 3 different regional states. Currently, a coordination unit is being established in each region with the responsibility of overall coordination of piloting and readiness activities in their respective regions. In the next few months, preparatory activities will be initiated.
Communicating REDD+
Ethiopia is developing a communication strategy to help REDD+ achieve its objectives, mission an division. Currently, REDD+ process is being promoted through a wide-range of media: electronic media (TV, Radio and Web), print media (News paper, magazine),bulk short text messages (bulk SMS),panel discussions, and items bearing REDD+ logo and messages (T-shirts, Caps, visiting cards, booklets, notebooks, brochures, key holders, pens, greeting cards, envelops, and wall calendar).
REDD+ Collaborations
The national REDD+ program is forging collaboration with a number of parties. A REDD+ Partnership Agreement was signed between Ethiopia and Norway in August2013. Under this partnership agreement, Norway provides financial support under the scheme of payment for performance.
Finance
Ethiopia's REDD+ program is being financed by the Royal Norwegian Government and the United Kingdom through the World Bank serving as a trustee(Readiness fund).
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