The U.S. will contribute one billion to REDD

"Protecting the world's forests is not a luxury – it is a necessity," said Secretary Vilsack. "This substantial commitment," he said, "is reflective of our recognition that international public finance must play a role in developing countries' efforts to slow, halt and reverse deforestation."

The U.S. contribution to this effort will be one billion dollars over the next three years. These funds will be available for countries that develop ambitious REDD-plus plans for their forest sector, according to their respective capabilities.

The United States is already working with international partners to protect forests across the globe. The State Department, the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service will work with developing countries around the world to implement and expand REDD-plus programs. This will include helping countries build robust forest monitoring systems, improve greenhouse gas inventories [the estimation of carbon dioxide emissions and removals], and develop action plans to tackle the drivers of deforestation.