How do location and certification impact additionality of REDD+ projects? Theory and evidence.

Summary How is location of REDD+ projects chosen, and how do those location choices influence project additionality? This paper assesses these questions, presenting a simple theoretical model and using an original database of REDD+ projects in Brazil. We show that project location is strongly influenced by the type of project proponent, which appears to be a good proxy for its objectives, whether oriented toward environmental impacts, development impacts, or external funding. Our results suggest that the incentives behind REDD+ certification mechanisms can lead to low environmental effort or an investment in areas that are not additional.