This report covers the technical assessment of the voluntary submission of Cuba on its proposed forest reference emission level (FREL) in accordance with decision 13/CP.19 and in the context of results-based payments. The FREL proposed by Cuba covers the activities reducing emissions from deforestation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, which are among the activities included in paragraph 70 of decision 1/CP.16.

For its original submission, Cuba developed a subnational FREL for its eastern region and part of its central region with the aim of transitioning to a national FREL in the future. The FREL presented in the original submission, based on the reference period 2014–2019, corresponds to 19,225,955 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. As a result of the facilitative process during the technical assessment, the FREL was modified to 20,414,991 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year based on a reduced reference period (2014–2018), an expanded geographical coverage (the entire country) and the selection of different activities (conservation of forest carbon stocks was included in the original but not in the modified submission and reducing emissions from deforestation was included in the modified but not in the original submission).

The assessment team notes that the data and information used by Cuba in constructing its FREL are mostly transparent, mostly complete and mostly in accordance with the guidelines contained in the annex to decision 12/CP.17. This report contains information on the assessed FREL and a few areas identified by the assessment team for future technical improvement in accordance with the provisions on the scope of the technical assessment contained in the annex to decision 13/CP.19.