A sourcebook of methods and procedures for monitoring and reporting anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated with deforestation, gains and losses of carbon stocks in forests remaining forests, and forestation. GOFC-GOLD Report version COP18-1

Frederic Achard (Editor), Sandra Brown (Editor), Michael Brady (Editor), Ruth DeFries (Editor), Giacomo Grassi (Editor), Martin Herold (Editor), Danilo Mollicone (Editor), Brice Mora (Editor), Devendra Pandey (Editor), Carlos Souza (Editor), Olivier Arino, Gregory P Asner, Luigi Boschetti, Barbara Braatz, Emilio Chiuvieco, Ivan Csiszar, Mark Cutler, Sandra Englhart, Bernardus de Jong, Michael FalkowskiSandro Federici, Jonas Franke, Scott Goetz, Nancy Harris, Yasumasa Hirata, Anja Hoffman, Hans Joosten, Chris Justice, Josef Kellndorfer, Stephen Kull, Werner Kurz, Eric Lambin, Mike McCall, Ron McRoberts, Suvi Monni, Rebecca Moore, Erik Naesset, Ross Nelson, Yosio Shimabukuro, Marc Paganini, Tim Pearson, Gary Richards, David Roy, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Florian Siegert, David Shoch, Margaret Skutsch, Allan Spessa, Patrick Van Laake, Michael Wulder

    Research output: Book/ReportOther report

    Abstract

    This sourcebook provides a consensus perspective from the global community of earth observation and carbon experts on methodological issues relating to quantifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of implementing mitigation activities related to the forest land use in developing countries (REDD+). At current status of negotiation five forest-related activities have been listed to be implemented as mitigation actions by developing countries, namely: reducing emissions from deforestation (which implies a land-use change) and reducing emissions from forest degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forest land, Enhancement of forest carbon stocks (all relating to carbon stock changes and GHG emissions within managed forest land use, including forest expansion on non-forest land). The UNFCCC negotiations and related country submissions on REDD+ have advocated that methodologies and tools become available for estimating emissions and removals from deforestation and forest land management, including forest expansion, with an acceptable level of certainty. Based on the current status of negotiations and UNFCCC approved methodologies, the Sourcebook aims to provide additional explanation, clarification, and methodologies to support REDD+ early actions and readiness mechanisms for building national REDD+ monitoring systems. It complements the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and it is aimed at being fully consistent with this IPCC Guidelines and with the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual GHG inventories. The book emphasizes the role of satellite remote sensing as an important tool for monitoring changes in forest cover, provides guidance on how to obtain credible estimates of forest carbon stocks and related changes, and provides clarification on the use of IPCC Guidelines for estimating and reporting GHG emissions and removals from forest lands.
    The sourcebook is the outcome of an ad-hoc REDD+ working group of “Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics” (GOFC-GOLD, www.fao.org/gtos/gofc-gold/), a technical panel of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS). The working group has been active since the initiation of the UNFCCC REDD+ process in 2005, has organized REDD+ expert workshops, and has contributed to related UNFCCC/SBSTA side events and GTOS submissions. GOFC-GOLD provides an independent expert platform for international cooperation and communication to formulate scientific consensus and provide technical input to the discussions and for implementation activities. A number of international experts in remote sensing, carbon measurement and reporting under the UNFCCC have contributed to the development of this sourcebook.
    With some REDD+ decisions already adopted, Dec. 4/CP.15, Dec. 1/CP.16 and Dec. 12/CP.17, but with political discussions and negotiations ongoing, the current document provides the starting point to support the development of national forest monitoring systems (par. 71, Dec. 1/CP.16) and forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels (section II, Dec. 12/CP.17) considering current technical capabilities to monitor GHG emissions and removals from deforestation, reforestation and activities in forest land remaining forest land. This sourcebook is a living document and further methods and technical details can be specified and added with evolving negotiations and science. Respective communities are invited to provide comments and feedback to evolve a more detailed and refined guidelines document in the future.
    Original languageEnglish
    Place of PublicationWageningen, Netherlands
    PublisherWageningen University
    Number of pages225
    VolumeCOP18-1
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

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