Results-based finance for sustainable land use, an approach that has been tested at project scale, is being increasingly implemented at the jurisdictional or national level. Mechanisms like REDD+ (reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and Payment for Environmental Services (PES) provide finance based on proven outcomes in reducing emissions, sustainable land management, ecosystem protection, or other metrics.

Several programs implementing these mechanisms apply benefit sharing requirements to the way results-based finance is used and distributed. For example, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and the BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes have developed benefit sharing requirements that emission reductions programs must comply with in order to be eligible for results-based finance.

Many factors influence a program’s arrangements for sharing benefits and contribute in various ways to synergies and tradeoffs in effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. This resource has brought together information for approaches and good practices for benefit sharing in jurisdictional-level, land use programs that may be applied across (but not limited to) initiatives focused on forests, land use, natural resources, and/or climate change.

While the case studies and information presented in this resource are offered as a reference to support the country-specific processes that are needed, they do not cover every important aspect of benefit sharing. Users are invited and encouraged to explore additional resources on this constantly- evolving topic.