This panel discussion will bring together representatives of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), indigenous peoples, civil society, representatives from governments and the U.N., as well as scientists to review developments concerning integrated landscape approaches to sustainable development.

Delegates to this panel will consider the fact that a strong emphasis, particularly by the GCF, is being placed on policies and measures to fulfil the Paris Agreement goals on climate change and to achieve progress on Agenda 2030, the U.N. development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, initiatives like REDD+, corporate pledges on zero deforestation, and large-scale restoration efforts show potential to be catalysts for change. Efforts by developing countries on these fronts have progressed and continue to be key to sustainable and long-lasting sectoral and cross-sectoral change.

To scale up this work, and achieve the Paris Agreement target – holding the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees C over pre-industrial levels and limiting the rise to 1.5 degree C – barriers to transformational change across complex landscapes must be identified. Doing so will help to support countries’ efforts in developing climate strategies and implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Delegates to this session will also discuss the results of a recent FAO/CIFOR study. It analyses how change is achieved across multiple sectors, including climate, forestry (including REDD+), agriculture, health, education, management and public administration. It will also provide insights into how GCF is approaching, measuring and evaluating change.

Indigenous peoples, scientists and civil society organizations will discuss how rights, conservation and restoration of ecosystems and agricultural practices can make very significant contributions to mitigating and adapting to climate change, while achieving multiple SDGs.

Background
Great emphasis is currently being placed on achieving transformational change and paradigm shift through policies and measures to fulfill the Paris Agreement goals and progressing on the UN 2030 development agenda, particularly by the world’s largest climate mitigation and adaptation facility, the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Initiatives to achieve corporate zero deforestation, restore large areas of forest and reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation through activities such as REDD+ are showing some potential to be catalysts for the much needed paradigm shift. Engagement in such efforts by developing countries will be key for ensuring sustainable and long-lasting sectoral and cross-sectoral transformational change that is indispensable for sustainable development as well as economic growth, whilst mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Objectives
This Discussion Forum will bring together diverse voices to identify how developing countries can implement transformational integrated landscape approaches to achieve their sustainable development goals and fulfill their Paris Agreement pledges through climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. It will include representatives from the GCF, as well as indigenous peoples, civil society, UN, Government and scientists to provide important new developments to understand transformational change in the context of integrated landscape approaches to sustainable development. It will present on results from a recent FAO/CIFOR study, which analyses how transformational change is achieved in practice across multiple sectors, including climate change, forestry and agriculture.

The dialogue will explore:
– What are the key elements of a definition of transformational change in the context of climate change and land use?
– What are the key triggers, barriers and challenges in achieving scaled up and sustainable transformational change across complex landscapes?
– How can the necessary transformations in the landscape be achieved within short timeframes and contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement temperature goal of well below 2 or 1.5 degrees?
– How is the GCF approaching measurement and evaluation of transformational change and its paradigm shift objective?
– What should be measured to evidence that transformational change is achieved or on its way in the land use? What indicators to measure transformational change could be used?

The session will also explore how the lessons learned in the research can be practically applied in project and programme formulation.