GCF Task force

Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force was launched in 2009 by ten Governors from Brazil, Indonesia, and the U.S., the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) was designed to advance jurisdiction-wide approaches to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) and low emissions development. Since 2009, the GCF has more than tripled its membership (from 10 to 35) and expanded its reach to include jurisdictions from nine countries (Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Spain, and the United States).

One-fourth of the world’s tropical forests are in GCF states and provinces, including more than three-fourths of Brazil’s and Peru’s and more than half of Indonesia’s. The GCF includes tropical states and provinces that are leading the way in building robust jurisdictional programs to protect forests and climate while enhancing rural livelihoods. The GCF also includes the only jurisdiction in the world (California) that is considering provisions that would recognize emissions reductions from jurisdictional REDD+ programs as part of its mandatory cap-and-trade program. Notably, the GCF includes large clusters of states and provinces in importance tropical forest countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Peru. The states and provinces within these countries have their own GCF country coordination teams that support their ongoing efforts to share experiences and develop common positions.

The GCF was created to respond directly to the fundamental problems of tropical deforestation and climate change, and the related problems of ecological disruption, biodiversity loss, food/energy/water insecurity, and rural poverty.