Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) envisions a world where rainforests are fairly valued for their ecosystem services. Simply put, we strive to make trees worth more alive than dead. Founded in 2005, CfRN initially consisted of two countries - Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica - which introduced the REDD+ framework (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) to the UN at the annual COP climate summit. It took 10 years for CfRN to get REDD+ adopted by the UN as part of the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and during that time, CfRN grew from 2 countries to over 50. The UN REDD+ framework that CfRN championed has achieved over 11 gigatons of verified carbon emissions over time; this is greater than the combined annual emissions of the United States and European Union! But we have much more work ahead to truly end and reverse global deforestation. Today, CfRN has 3 programs: Policy (supporting and coordinating rainforest countries at COP and other climate negotiations), Capacity Building (training rainforest countries to implement the technical requirements of REDD+) and Direct Finance (tools to raise more funding for rainforest countries to adopt conservation practices). CfRN is a small nonprofit that has achieved big results. With a staff of just 15 and consistent leadership from founders Kevin Conrad and Federica Bietta, CfRN managed to develop and implement a forest conservation mechanism that has achieved major emission reductions with more to come.
