July 2015: The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) has released a new technical publication that aims to support countries seeking to develop a REDD+ Forest Reference Emission Level and/or Forest Reference Level (FREL/FRL) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Titled ‘Technical considerations for Forest Reference Emission Level and/or Forest Reference Level Construction for REDD+ 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. It also provides a description of possible advantages and risks associated with different options for each of these elements.

The first and second part of the document put FREL/FRLs in the context of the UNFCCC and describe the different purposes FREL/FRLs may serve. These two parts: provide a summary of UNFCCC decisions relevant to the construction, submission and technical assessment of FREL/FRLs; and explain the process to submit data and information used to estimate REDD+ results in the technical annex of the biennial update report, how these results relate to the FREL/FRL and what FREL/FRL information needs to be included.

The third part of the document elaborates on key elements to consider when developing a FREL/FRL, providing a description of possible advantages and risks associated with different choices for each of these elements and offering practical considerations to facilitate decision-making. It discusses technical aspects of how to develop a FREL/FRL in line with UNFCCC guidance; and stresses the usefulness of adopting a step-wise approach, enabling countries to improve their FREL/FRL over time by incorporating better data, improved methodologies and, where appropriate, additional pools. [Publication: Technical Considerations for Forest Reference Emission Level and/or Forest Reference Level Construction for REDD+ under the UNFCCC]