Subnational success: Lessons from Tropical Forest Jurisdictions

When it comes to climate action, initiatives to support subnational governments have received far less attention than those at the national level. Yet the subnational level is where decisions on forests and land use are often made and at a scale closer to the communities that live in and depend on forests, particularly Indigenous Peoples. When done well, actions at this level can have significant impact on the ground. Subnational governments can incubate and innovate, testing new ideas to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Subnational actions (and eventual emissions reductions) can feed into a national-level process that ultimately contributes to national climate targets, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

The findings from the Government of Norway’s pledge to the Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force (GCF Task Force) demonstrates how, with the right conditions in place, targeted funding for initiatives at a subnational level can have an outsized impact.