International climate and biodiversity conventions agree that to be effective in the long term, strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, and sustainable forest management (REDD+), must not undermine biodiversity. But how do countries achieve ‘high-biodiversity REDD+’ in practice? This briefing presents a range of national and international policy options that can be pursued to promote high-biodiversity REDD+ and reinforce the Cancun safeguards.