This paper is the third report in a series of analytical papers that compare main design features of forest carbon standards and REDD+ initiatives. It presents a comparative analysis of social and environmental safeguard standards, their substantive and procedural components, and issues from developing country, donor country and private sector perspectives.

The paper also clarifies how safeguard standards align with the Cancun Safeguards, how they are to be applied at various scales, and how they correspond to the different types of REDD+ programs and financing.

The first paper, “Standards for Results-Based REDD+ Finance, Overview and Design Parameters” was published in December 2012, and the second “Reference Levels: Concepts, Functions and Application in REDD+ and Forest Carbon Standards” was published in January 2013.