Forestry Commission - Wildlife Works signs MoU to implement REDD+ projects

The Forestry Commission (FC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wildlife Works, for the creation of world-class Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects that will enhance Ghana’s emission reductions and nature conservation goals.

Wildlife Works is an international organisation that delivers carbon finance to indigenous peoples, local communities and the global south governments

Signed on the margins of the United Nations Conference on Climate (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt , the partnership will enable the two entities to develop at least one active conservation project and also create a framework to share best practices and recommendations on high quality REDD+ project development and tools. The first project takes off in 2024.

REDD+ is a climate change mitigation solution developed by parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, signed on behalf of the commission, while the founder and CEO of Wildlife Works, Mike Korchinsky, signed on behalf of his organisation.

Partnership

The MoU strengthens the partnership between the two organisations as the FC is already implementing REDD+ programmes in the high forest and northern forests of the country.

That is yielding results and the international organisation has verified and validated emission reductions in the FC’s high forest programme.

In a brief remark after the signing ceremony, Mr Allotey described the MoU as significant as the commission sought for strategic partnerships to scale up climate interventions and actions.

He expressed the belief that the partnership with Wildlife Works served as a major building block in conserving the biodiversity and some important forests of Ghana.

‘Wildlife Works is well suited to partner the Forestry Commission to apply best practices and together make recommendations to maximise the potential of the projects resulting from this partnership’, Mr Allotey stated.

Impact

Mr Korchinsky said having worked in other parts of Africa for over 20 years and realising the impact of its intervention, it stood to reason to also extend that support to Ghana, considered a key ally in climate issues.

“For over 20 years, we have worked in other parts of Africa by applying community-centered approach to conservation projects which are financed by voluntary carbon markets that deliver sustainable development investments.

“These investments transform the lives of local communities and also protect their natural environment and given the significance of Ghana, we are excited to expand our operations to Ghana and deliver on our commitment to generate the highest quality carbon credits from emission reductions that are real, permanent and credible,” the CEO stated.