31 October 2014: The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (UN-REDD) has released a report on approaches for establishing ‘Forest Reference Emission Levels and/or Forest Reference Levels’ (FREL/FRLs), which are relevant for climate change mitigation efforts such as REDD+.

The report draws on case studies from Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guyana, Mexico, Nepal, the Republic of the Congo and Viet Nam. The report notes, however, that most examples are still in the preliminary design phase.

Findings reveal that the availability of historical deforestation rates and the ability to predict future trends affect the methodological approach adopted. Likewise, the need to find a balance between simplicity and accuracy with regard to emission projections and the number of different eco-regions and landscape uses has resulted in most countries adopting a stepwise approach to FREL/FRLs. In particular, the report notes that most countries begin the process at the sub-national level before expanding the scope and scale.

The report also notes that a number of challenges remain including limited institutional and human capacity, and a lack of demonstrated and measurable impacts of different approaches to emission reductions. [UN-REDD Press Release] [Publication: Emerging Approaches to Forest Reference Emission Levels and/or Forest Reference Levels for REDD+]