Will REDD+ work? The need for interdisciplinary research to address key challenges

► The article reviews the state of the art in scholarly debates about how, where and when REDD+ will work. ► We highlight how complexity, scale and pace influence whether, how and for whom REDD+ will work. ► Further conceptual and policy developments can benefit from interdisciplinary research. ► Interdisciplinary research can support actors involved in REDD+ to cope with its inherent complexity.