Lao PDR’s Forest-Climate Work in the Spotlight at COP30
At the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), the annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Belém, Brazil, Lao PDR’s forest and land-use work took centre stage in a high-level session at the German Climate Pavilion titled “Leveraging climate finance: rainforests at the heart of transformation.”
Hosted jointly by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the event showcased how targeted climate finance can deliver transformational impacts in rainforest countries, with Lao PDR and Indonesia highlighted as key examples.
According to GCF’s partner communication, the Lao PDR Emission Reductions Programme, implemented through FP117, was selected as one of only ten GCF projects to be showcased on site at COP30 – a strong signal of confidence in the country’s forest-climate efforts.
Lao PDR’s GCF-funded programme: FP117 and FP200
The session focused on GCF’s investment in Lao PDR through two projects:
- FP117 – Implementation of the Lao PDR Emission Reductions Programme through improved governance and sustainable forest landscape management
- FP200 – Scaling up the implementation of the Lao PDR Emission Reductions Programme through improved governance and sustainable forest landscape management (Project 2)
Both are implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Government of Lao PDR and are embedded in one overarching programme that supports the transition to sustainable, climate-resilient forest and landscape management in six northern provinces.
The overarching programme aims to:
- Reduce approximately 11.7 million tCO₂e over the combined seven-year implementation period of Projects 1 and 2.
- Directly increase the resilience of more than 273,000 villagers and 2.1 million hectares of ecosystems in northern Lao PDR.
- Strengthen forest governance, including REDD+ funding mechanisms, land-use planning and law enforcement.
- Address agricultural drivers of deforestation and promote climate-resilient, deforestation-free value chains.
Laos at the heart of the “rainforests” discussion
At the German Climate Pavilion event, GIZ Managing Director Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven presented FP117 as concrete cases of how climate finance can unlock systemic change in forest landscapes. Public information about the session describes it as showcasing “successful initiatives in Laos and Indonesia” and highlighting the link between rainforest protection, local livelihoods and sustainable development.
The panel brought together:
- Kristin Lang – Green Climate Fund
- Valerie Hickey – The World Bank
- Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven – GIZ Managing Director
- Endah Tri Kurniawaty – Indonesian Environment Fund / Badan Pengelola Dana Lingkungan Hidup (BPDLH)
Together, they discussed:
- How GCF’s forest and land-use portfolio, including the Lao PDR programme, is evolving to deliver larger-scale impacts.
- How climate finance can strengthen governance, empower indigenous peoples and local communities, and mobilise additional public and private finance for forests.
- Why rainforests including the remaining forests in Lao PDR are essential not only for climate mitigation, but also for biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods.
A moment of recognition for Lao PDR
For Lao PDR and all partners working on FP117 from national ministries to provincial authorities, village leaders and civil society and being showcased at COP30 is significant recognition:
- It confirms that Lao PDR’s forest-climate efforts are seen as globally relevant examples of how climate finance can drive real transformation.
- It highlights that investments in forest governance, participatory land-use planning, sustainable agriculture and benefit-sharing in northern Lao PDR are now part of the global rainforest narrative.
As the world looks to rainforests for solutions to the climate crisis, Lao PDR’s forests and the communities who manage them now feature visibly in the global climate finance debate.
