Forests play a key role in the fight against climate change. To measure impact, unlock results-based finance, and support decision making, countries need transparent and reliable forest data for assessment of forest carbon fluxes. A forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level (hereafter reference level) serves as a benchmark for evaluating a country's progress in implementing activities to reduce deforestation and degradation and enhance forest carbon stocks (referred to as REDD+).

Developing countries can voluntarily submit a reference level to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which is a requirement for accessing results-based payments.

Countries can submit multiple reference levels for reasons such as expanding the area covered, including more activities, updating data, or improving methods.

This section offers an overview of the choices countries have made in their submitted reference levels and how they assess their emission reductions against these benchmarks.

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