Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Ph.D. Student in International Law, Islamic Azad University, Maragheh Branch, Maragheh, Iran
2
Associate Prof., Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Tehran, Iran. E-mail: srezaei@aeoi.org.ir
3
Associate Prof., Department of Law, Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, Tabriz, Iran
10.22092/ijfrpr.2025.369764.1677
Abstract
Background and Objective: Forests absorb considerable amounts of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis and, by carbon sequestration, play a key role in mitigating climate change, reducing global warming, and improving air quality. However, when degraded or mismanaged, they themselves turn into a source of greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, in the decisions and outcome documents of the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, from COP 11 in Montreal (2005) to COP 29 in Baku (2024), the mechanism of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) has been emphasized as an initiative for forest protection and greenhouse gas reduction. Examining the role of this initiative in forest conservation and greenhouse gas mitigation is the main purpose of the present study. Accordingly, the central question is: what role does REDD+ play within the framework of the climate change regime in conserving forests and reducing greenhouse gas emissions? This research is based on the hypothesis that REDD+ is an incentive-based mechanism founded on the principle of payment for ecosystem services, where developing countries refrain from deforestation in return for financial support from developed countries. In this regard, developed countries, unwilling for developing nations to repeat their past forest-dependent development path, agree to compensate them for this “missed opportunity.”
Methodology: This study employs a descriptive–analytical approach, relying on international legal documents including climate treaties, COP decisions, and international case law to examine the nature, status, importance, financing methods, criteria, requirements, and procedures for implementing the REDD+ mechanism. The methodological framework combines legal dogmatism (description of the existing legal system) with the systemic method (criticism of adequacy, utility, and effectiveness of the current rules). Although field research plays a limited role in this approach, the use of legal analysis and interpretation makes it possible to identify a desired legal system. Moreover, a secondary analysis has been applied at the national level to assess the prospects and challenges of implementing REDD+ in Iran for forest protection.
Results: Ensuring the sustainability of environmental projects and achieving effective outcomes requires the formulation of laws, executive procedures, and enforcement guarantees. The criteria, requirements, and procedures for REDD+ have been gradually developed through COP decisions under the Framework Convention. While REDD+ enjoys significant normative support, the findings reveal that international climate documents merely emphasize the need for safeguards and delegate the monitoring of their observance to national strategies. Given that safeguards—such as protection of indigenous peoples’ rights—are critical to the success of REDD+, it is essential that international documents clearly define mechanisms for compliance and monitoring.
Conclusion: The results show that REDD+ has undergone conceptual, functional, and goal-oriented transformations within the climate change regime. It has evolved from a single-dimensional management mechanism (decarbonization) into a multi-dimensional tool for achieving a broad range of sustainable development goals, including greenhouse gas mitigation, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest use and management, respect for indigenous rights, environmental participation, improved local livelihoods, and food security. Despite these advantages, REDD+ implementation faces challenges, notably its state-centered approach. International instruments consider governments as the primary executive and supervisory bodies, but limited state capacities often hinder prioritization of the initiative. The findings further demonstrate that Iran, despite possessing significant capacities in defining, designing, registering, validating, monitoring, and approving related projects, holds no prominent position among countries in terms of REDD+ implementation. The projects carried out in Iran so far have been pilot studies and modeling exercises designed to evaluate and analyze various scenarios for forest protection, pollution reduction, and climate change mitigation.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)