10 June 2013: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) commissioned a study, titled ‘Key Issues in REDD+ Verification,’ which explores the different options for REDD+ verification and the impact of the impasse in international negotiations on REDD+ financing and implementation.

The study establishes a number of areas of agreement with regard to independent verification including the need to follow guidelines developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the importance of transparent and consistent data, and the advantages of building on existing monitoring systems, which should be improved over time.

In order to draw its conclusions, the report explores the views of Bolivia, Brazil, Norway, the European Union (EU), the Group of 77 and China and the sub-group of the Coalition of Rainforest Nations. In doing so, the paper highlights a number of technical issues: defining REDD+ and forests; intra-national accounting; uncertainties in measurement; reference level; double counting; and REDD+ country manipulated national reporting.

The report concludes that there is a need for agreement on verification as part of the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) process in order to prevent further fragmentation of REDD+. The report points out that there is time to continue the debate on verification before countries enter phase III of REDD+ implementation.

CIFOR is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [CIFOR Press Release] [Publication: Key Issues in REDD+ Verification]