Author Sandker, M., Crete, P., Lee, D., & Sanz-Sanchez, M.

Year of publication 2015

The aim of this document is to help countries seeking to develop a REDD+ Forest Reference Emission Level and/or Forest Reference Level (FREL/FRL) under the UNFCCC. The document provides a structural overview of UNFCCC requirements for FREL/FRL construction, summarizing UNFCCC guidance and translating it into elements needed for FREL/FRL construction. A description of possible advantages and risks associated with different options for each of these elements is added to provide some practical considerations to FREL/FRL construction. The first and second part of the document puts FREL/FRLs in the context of the UNFCCC and describes the different purposes FREL/FRLs may serve. It sets out a summary of UNFCCC decisions relevant to the construction, submission and technical assessment of FREL/FRLs. It then explains the process to submit data and information used to estimate REDD+ results in the technical annex of the biennial update report (BUR), how these results relate to the FREL/FRL and what FREL/FRL information needs to be included.