The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) is pleased to launch the third edition of the Methods and Guidance Documentation (MGD3.0) available here.

The MGD has become a vital resource for developing countries seeking to establish national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) and associated emissions measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) procedures for REDD+. The MGD, and its online platform REDDcompass, provide user-friendly guidance for addressing UNFCCC decisions through the practical implementation of IPCC good-practice guidance.

 “The MGD provides practical guidance, which incorporates UNFCCC decisions and supports the technical assessment of advanced carbon measurement methodologies, which countries are increasingly using in their REDD+ submissions.” says Dirk Nemitz, Program Officer from the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The MGD played an important role in the IPCC 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, particularly around the use of remotely sensed data. This third edition features further improvements that ensure consistency with international standards.

Sandro Federici, Head of the IPCC Technical Support Unit (TSU) notes “The MGD is developed across a community-process of drafting and testing that mimics the IPCC. It is science that is agreed to by an entire community, so it can be easily considered by IPCC authors, in case of further development of the IPCC guidelines.”

MGD3.0 has been developed and rigorously reviewed through the collaborative contributions of GFOI partners. We are incredibly grateful for their time, expertise, dedication and community spirit!

Download MGD 3.0 now.

Watch the launch video here.