The Asia-Pacific Rainforest Partnership promotes global action and provides a platform to progress activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Partnership works with governments, the private sector, and civil society to support the implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and REDD+ in the region.
The Paris Agreement highlights the importance of forests in combating climate change, with many countries making commitments under the agreement to decrease deforestation and forest degradation. Alongside the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement reinforces the value of regional multi-sectoral partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Asia-Pacific Rainforest Partnership leverages these existing commitments to deliver practical forest conservation.
The Australian Government took a leading role in the establishment of the Partnership when the former Minister for the Environment, The Hon Greg Hunt MP, hosted the first Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit in November 2014.
In August 2016, Australia supported the Government of Brunei Darussalam to host the second Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit, which saw government, private sector, civil society and academic representatives come together to discuss forest conservation, climate change, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the Asia-Pacific region.
In April 2018, the third Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit was hosted by the Indonesian Government in collaboration with the Australian Government. The Summit brought together more than 1,200 participants from over 30 countries to examine the theme "Protecting Forests and People - Supporting Economic Growth". A transcript of Minister Frydenberg's keynote address at the Summit is available on the Minister's website.
- Visit the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Partnership's website for more information.
Combating illegal logging
In 2014, Australia committed $6 million to combat illegal logging and contribute to efforts to reduce deforestation.
Illegal logging and corruption undermines community livelihoods and income streams of national governments. It is also one driver of the high deforestation rates in the region.
The funding will support the third phase of the Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) program.
Monitoring forests
Through the Global Forest Observations Initiative partner countries, including Australia, provide financial and technical support to build capacity, improve access to satellite data and build measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems in developing countries. These systems are the first step towards accessing incentives for preserving forests such as REDD+.
Successful projects in Indonesia and Kenya have demonstrated the value and feasibility of building national MRV systems in developing countries. Australia has piloted a new online decision support tool that will help countries assess their state of readiness to develop a national MRV system and will deliver three workshops across the region to help countries use the tool.
For more information on Australia’s capacity development projects see Australia’s support for developing countries.
Contact us
For all enquires about the Government’s role on the Asia-Pacific Rainforest Partnership, please contact asiapacific.rainforest@environment.gov.au.