Background

According to the FAO (2005), deforestation, mainly conversion of forests to agricultural land, continues at an alarming rate of approximately 13 million hectares per year (for the period 1990–2005).  Deforestation results in immediate release of the carbon originally stored in the trees as CO₂ emissions (with small amounts of CO and CH₄), particularly if the trees are burned and the slower release of emissions from the decay of organic matter.  The IPCC WGIII (2007) estimated emissions from deforestation in the 1990s to be at 5.8 GtCO₂/yr.  The IPCC also notes that reducing and/or preventing deforestation is the mitigation option with the largest and most immediate carbon stock impact in the short term per hectare and per year globally as the release of carbon as emissions into the atmosphere is prevented. 

The agenda item on “Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries and approaches to stimulate action” was first introduced into the COP agenda at its eleventh session in Montreal (December 2005).  The governments of Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica, supported by 8 other Parties, through their submission FCCC/CP/2005/MISC.1, requested for this issue to be taken up on the agenda.  This proposal received wide support from Parties and there was general agreement on the importance of the issue in the context of climate change mitigation, particularly in light of the large contribution of emissions from deforestation in developing countries to global greenhouse gas emissions.  The COP established a contact group on this item which drafted conclusions on initiating a process to address the issue of reducing emissions from deforestation.

This page presents information and the status of negotiations of this agenda item from the most recent development at the SBSTA to outcomes from previous sessions.  It also provides an outlook on the agenda item at the next session.

Information on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries submitted by Parties and Organizations on the REDD Web Platform.
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The SBSTA, at its thirty-fifth session, agreed to continue its work on guidance for the remaining issues relating to modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying anthropogenic forest-related emissions and removals, forest carbon stocks and forest area changes resulting from the implementation of activities referred to in decision 1/CP.16, paragraph 70 and for national forest monitoring systems as contained in the annex to its conclusions (FCCC/SBSTA/2011/L.25, annex) and in decision 1/CP.16, appendix II.  The SBSTA aims to complete its work on these matters at its thirty-seventh session and to report to the Conference of the Parties (COP) at its eighteenth session on the progress made, including any recommendations for draft decisions on these matters.

The SBSTA will also consider the views to be submitted by Parties and accredited observers, by 28 February 2012, on issues identified in decision 1/CP.16, paragraph 72 and appendix II, in particular on how to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and on robust and transparent national forest monitoring systems.  Views submitted by Parties and accredited observers will be made available on the UNFCCC website.

The COP, at its seventeenth session, adopted a decision on “Guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards are addressed and respected and modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels as referred to in decision 1/CP.16.”  In this decision, the COP requested the SBSTA to:

(a) Consider the timing of the first and the frequency of subsequent presentation of the summary of information on how safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation activities relating to REDD-plus, with a view of recommending a decision on this matter for adoption by the COP at its eighteenth session;

(b) Consider the need for further guidance to ensure transparency, consistency, comprehensiveness and effectiveness when informing on how all safeguards are addressed and respected and, if appropriate, to consider additional guidance and to report to the COP at its eighteenth session; and

(c) To establish a process to enable technical assessment of the proposed forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels when submitted or updated by Parties.

Outcomes at SBSTA 35 (December 2011)
 
The SBSTA continued its consideration of the methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from  deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, taking into account issues identified in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16 and relevant issues, and the elements identified in the annex to the conclusions of SBSTA34 ( FCCC/SBSTA/2011/2, paragraph 30 and annex II).

The SBSTA took note of the views submitted by Parties and accredited observers on a range of methodological issues referred to above and those identified in the annex to the conclusions. It also took note of the report on the expert meeting on guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards for REDD-plus activities are addressed and respected and the report on the expert meeting on forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels for implementation of REDD-plus activities.

The SBSTA recommended a draft decision on guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards are addressed and respected and modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels as referred to in decision 1/CP.16 for adoption by the COP at its seventeenth session. This decision was adopted by the COP.

When the item on “Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries” was initially taken up at the eleventh session of the COP (December 2005) (FCCC/CP/2005/5, paragraphs 76–84), Parties agreed to initiate consideration of this matter beginning at the twenty-fourth SBSTA session (May 2006).  Consideration of the agenda item would take into account the views of Parties on issues related to reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, focused on relevant scientific, technical and methodological issues, and the exchange of relevant information and experiences, including policy approaches and positive incentives.  Parties also provided recommendations on any further process to consider the issues.

The COP also requested the SBSTA to report on these issues raised by Parties in their submissions and that they would be discussed at the next sessions, including any recommendations, at its twenty-seventh session.

Outcomes at SBSTA 34, June 2011 (The conclusions are contained in FCCC/SBSTA/2011/2)

The SBSTA considered views on methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, taking into account issues identified in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16 and relevant issues. Parties identified a range of issues, including guidance on systems for providing information on how safeguards referred to in appendix I to decision 1/CP.16  are addressed and respected, modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels, and modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying as referred to in appendix II to decision 1/CP.16. 

The SBSTA invited Parties and accredited observers to submit to the secretariat their views on the issues noted above. General guidance for submissions and future work on these issues (refer to annex of the conclusions) was provided. The views by Parties are contained in FCCC/SBSTA/2011/MISC.7, Add.1, Add. 2 and Add. 3.

The secretariat organized two SBSTA-mandated meetings of technical experts relating to safeguards and forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels.  The reports on the outcomes of these meetings can be found in documents FCCC/SBSTA/2011/INF.17
and FCCC/SBSTA/2011/INF.18.

Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries at SBSTA 32 (FCCC/SBSTA/2010/6, paragraphs 33-41)

The SBSTA, at its thirty-second session, took note of the following oral reports by its Chair on:

• Ways of facilitating the coordination of the activities relating to decision decision 2/CP.13;
• The outcomes of the informal meeting of experts on enhancing coordination of capacity-building activities in relation to using the most recent IPCC guidance and guidelines, as adopted or encouraged by the COP, as appropriate, as a basis for estimating anthropogenic forest-related greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks and forest area changes, which was held in Bonn, Germany, from 25 to 26 May 2010.

The SBSTA, taking into consideration the outcomes and recommendations resulting from the informal meeting of experts, requested the secretariat:

1. To increase the number of experts trained in the use of the IPCC guidance and guidelines referred to in decision 4/CP.15, paragraph 1 (c), by organizing and facilitating activities such as training of trainers workshops, and to work with the IPCC on promoting the use of the IPCC Emission Factor Database,4 and report on its progress to the SBSTA at its thirty-fourth session;
2. To enhance sharing of information, experiences and lessons learned on the use of the IPCC guidance and guidelines on the UNFCCC website through an interactive discussion forum to be set up on the web platform.

The SBSTA again reminded and encouraged Parties, relevant organizations and stakeholders to continue sharing information on activities relating to decisions 2/CP.13 and 4/CP.15 via the web platform.