Author FAO

Year of publication 2019

This report provides an update on forest reference (emission) levels (FREL/FRLs) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) results submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and relevant developments under the Green Climate Fund concerning REDD+ results-based payments. As of early July 2019, the following REDD+ measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) milestones had been achieved: 39 countries had submitted 45 FREL/FRLs to the UNFCCC for technical assessment; 8 countries had reported REDD+ results to the UNFCCC through ten submissions (in the REDD+ technical annex of their biennial update reports), totalling more than 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) in emission reductions. Two funding proposals (Brazil and Ecuador) for REDD+ results-based payments had been approved by the Green Climate Fund. The aim of this paper is to inform countries about recent developments in the MRV of REDD+ activities under the UNFCCC. Certain developments are detailed out in the report, such as progress in uncertainty reporting and methods used to assess deforestation. Such information can help countries to learn from each other’s experiences and thus facilitate South–South knowledge exchange on REDD+.