Land-use change, primarily through tropical forest loss and degradation, is estimated to contribute 6–17% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (van der Werf et al. 2009). The maintenance and enhancement of natural carbon stocks are therefore now considered key climate change mitigation measures. An incentive-based mitigation mechanism called ‘REDD+’, short for ‘Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks’, is expected to make a large contribution to reducing GHG emissions from land-use change in the future. 

Depending on where and how REDD+ is implemented, its actions may generate other benefits in addition to maintaining and enhancing carbon stocks. These co-benefits can include ecosystem and social benefits such as biodiversity conservation, maintenance of ecosystem services and improvement of local people’s livelihoods. Analyses of the spatial relationships between carbon, co-benefits and socio-economic context can support planning and decision-making at national and sub-national scales. Ecuador is a country with high forest cover and very high biodiversity. However, Ecuadorian forests are under pressure from deforestation and resource exploitation. The government is addressing the issue by planning for a high quality REDD+ mechanism that maximises benefits for the climate, the environment and people. This report presents the result of spatial analyses to support this planning process.