ASEAN Working Group on Forest and Climate Change (AWGFCC)

The ASEAN Working Group on Forest and Climate Change (AWGFCC) was initiated as the ASEAN Regional Knowledge Network on Forest and Climate Change (ARKN-FCC) at the 11th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF). Recognizing the potential role of forests in mitigating climate change through, among others, sustainable forest management practices, including afforestation and reforestation, and the rapidly evolving "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Conservation of Forest Carbon Stocks, Sustainable Management of Forest, and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks" (REDD+) architecture, the regional network was elevated to a working group to deal strictly on issues of forest and climate change, as part of the streamlining process to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of all subsidiary bodies under ASOF. The AWGFCC will continue to be led by Indonesia.

The AWGFCC aims to respond to the emerging issues on forests and climate change as identified in the agenda and work programmes of ASOF and AMAF; support these in decision-making by providing inputs based on research results, policy analysis, and lessons learned on forests and climate change; coordinate regional response to issues of climate change and their impacts on forests and the environment and to enhance effective implementation of the outcomes of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and related conventions/fora; and increase capacity building, including research and development (R&D), mobilizing resources to further strengthen the implementation of forests and climate change activities in the AMS, and promote public awareness.

Scope of work of the AwGFCC
1. Develop strategies and assess the impacts and risks of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in the forestry sector, including on forest biological diversity;
2. Facilitate periodic assessment of forest carbon stock, health and productivity of the forest resources in AMS as a result of climate change;
3. Support research and capacity building, including awareness raising programmes, in addressing climate change issues in the forestry sector through regional and sub-regional collaboration;
4. Scale up activities on REDD+ through the effective implementation of the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ and other related decisions on REDD+;
5. Strengthen greater regional cooperation on specific issues, including policy, scientific and related studies to facilitate the implementation of forest-related matters deliberated at the UNFCCC and other related conventions dealing with forests and climate change;
6. Adopt and articulate ASEAN common positions on issues related to forests and climate change and influence the outcomes of the deliberations at international and regional fora, especially at meetings of the COP to UNFCCC, (CDM, REDD+, Green Climate Fund, etc.); and
7. Mobilize technical and financial support from international and regional donor agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement the activities of the Working Group.