Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) Dashboard
Reference Levels Submitted to the UNFCCC
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.
UNFCCC Reference Levels Dashboards
Submissions and forest area
In 2013, the Warsaw Framework established modalities for Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of REDD+ activities. This allowed countries to submit their reference levels starting 2014. This section provides an overview of country reference level submissions over time, and the total forest areas covered by reference levels.
Reference levels elements
When constructing a reference level, countries decide on several elements: the scale, the scope of activities, carbon pools and greenhouse gases. They also choose the construction approach and the historical reference period. For more information on UNFCCC guidelines for constructing reference level, see Decision 12/CP.17.
Proposed reference levels and reference periods
Reference level values per country vary greatly. It is hard to make a direct comparison of reference level values between countries due to differences in scale, scope (of activities, pools and gases), construction approach and the reference periods. Some countries submit separate reference level values for different activities. While the UNFCCC does not provide specific guidance on the historical reference period, specific requirements do apply for accessing results based payments as explained here.
Technological solutions in forest monitoring
Over the past decade, technological innovations in forest monitoring such as high resolution satellite imagery, global products and improved algorithms, advanced area estimation methodologies, and open source platforms to access and analyse spatial data, have revolutionized forest monitoring. This section provides an overview of technological solutions countries use to monitor forest dynamics and improve reporting on forest related emissions and removals to the UNFCCC.
Emission Reductions reported
Quantifying the contribution of forests to climate change mitigation involves assessing forest-related emission reductions and increases in carbon removal. Emission reduction (ER) assessments are crucial for country access to results-based payments, climate finance, or incorporating these reductions into country’s nationally determined contribution (NDC). ERs are assessed against the reference level. Countries report REDD+ emission reductions to the UNFCCC in the technical annex of the biennial update report or biennial transparency report (BUR/BTR). Jurisdictional carbon standards (national or subnational in scale, excluding REDD+ projects) do not use UNFCCC reports but have their own reporting schemes, including ERs submissions in monitoring reports. This section gives an overview of both UNFCCC reported ERs and ERs reported to the jurisdictional REDD+ schemes Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART-TREES) and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Carbon Fund (FCPF-CF).ERs Reported to the UNFCCC
REDD+ technical annex submissions
This section shows the BUR/BTR technical annexes submitted per year, as part of their efforts to receive results-based payments.
Emission reductions reported
This section shows the total annual forest-related ERs estimates. It does not include all ERs from the forest sector, as reporting is voluntary.
ERs Reported to Jurisdictional Schemes
Monitoring report submissions
This section shows the monitoring reports submitted per year by countries to the FCPF-CF and the ART-TREES Program.
Emission reductions reported
This section shows the total annual forest-related ERs achieved by countries under the FCPF-CF and ART-TREES programs.
E-Learning
Measurement, reporting and verification for environmental integrity: Introduction
15/11/2024
This course highlights the importance of forests in climate change mitigation and how quality measurement, verification and reporting (MRV) is needed...
Videos
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How innovation is driving change in forestry. More info https://bit.ly/49QPPWf #ForestDay
Publications
Technological innovation driving transparent forest monitoring and reporting for climate action
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This paper reviews how countries are benefiting from technical innovations in their monitoring and reporting of forest-related emissions and removals...
From reference levels to results: REDD+ reporting by countries
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This report provides an overview of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) modalities for REDD+ reporting and additional...
From reference levels to results reporting: REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
28/12/2020
The aim of this paper is to inform countries about recent developments in the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of REDD+ activities under...
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