May 2021
The BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (BIOCF ISFL) has discussed Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement (ERPA) modalities with relevant actors and stakeholders of the Oromia Forested Landscape Program in a two days’ virtual workshop. The event was arranged as preliminary activity, ahead of the upcoming ERPA negotiations and signature, to create awareness among relevant actors of process.
BIOCF ISFL is a multilateral fund supported by donor governments and managed by the World Bank. The initiative promotes Green House Gas Emission reduction efforts from Land sector such as organized activities toward emission reduction from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), sustainable agriculture and land use planning practices among others.
In Ethiopia, the initiative has been supporting the Oromia Forested Landscape program (OFLP) being implemented in the Oromia national regional state. Accordingly, OFLP has been conducting significant emission reduction activities through supporting community-based forest management and forest development activities, among other related activities, across the region over the last three and half years.
BIOCF ISFL is currently heading toward ERPA Negotiations and signing of Emission Reduction Payment Agreement with the government of Ethiopia over the coming few months of this fiscal year. The workshop was, hence, organized as a preliminary step ahead of the upcoming ERPA negotiations and signing with a view to insure clarity through enhancing the knowledge and capacity of relevant actors/ stakeholders at national and regional level.
Accordingly, intensive presentations were made, by BIOCF ISFL staff, on key issues such: what of ERPA, parameters of ERPA negotiation, ER modalities and price, ERPA negotiation process, ERPA documents, framework and phase agreements and ERPA general conditions, among others. At the end of the workshop, participants agreed to forward some related points worth discussion and have second round workshop, in the coming June.
OFLP is a regional REDD+ pilot programmatic umbrella devoted to contributing to climate change mitigation through reducing Green House Gases Emission from land sector by way of promoting sustainable, community-based forest management and investment activities at landscape level. Accordingly, ER payment would be negotiated on the base of verified emission reduction accomplishments by the program.