Brazil submits reference level for the Cerrado biome

On Friday 6 January 2017, Brazil submitted its forest reference emission level for Cerrado biome, dubbed FREL Cerrado, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).The document aims to establish the benchmark for estimating the results achieved in reducing emissions from deforestation in the Cerrado biome.

Click here to download the Frel Cerrado.

The FREL Cerrado was structured in accordance with the guidelines set by decision 12/CP.17. The document presents the information used to construct the FREL; with support argumentation to demonstrate that the information is transparent, complete, consistent and accurate; the pools, gases and activities included in the FREL and the forest definition adopted. Complementarily, the FREL Cerrado provides access to different external and public databases that allow for the complete reconstruction of the FREL.

The submission, on such a unique biome in terms of vegetation and deforestation dynamics, is a milestone in the work of the Technical Working Group of Experts on REDD+ (GTT REDD+, for the acronym in portuguese), which has placed efforts to organize data and information about the biome since 2015. The GTT REDD+ validated the document at its seventh meeting, held in December 2016. The submission will now undergo a technical assessment by experts appointed by the UNFCCC, a process that should be finalized by the end of 2017. The FREL Cerrado can only be made available on the Lima REDD+ Information Hub after the the technical assessment process is finalized. Until then, the Info Hub Brasil will provide a link to the document submitted on 6 January.

The submission of a new FREL marks the continuation of Brazil's efforts towards developing a FREL that covers emissions in all the Brazilian biomes, which will enable the establishment of a National FREL. In order to achieve that, the GTT REDD+ will continue its work to organize and develop inputs to construct FREL submissions for the other Brazilian biomes, among other activities related to the Amazon and the Cerrado biomes.