FREL / FRL
Forest reference (emission) levels and their methods.
FRL
52.20 MtForest Reference Levelt CO₂ per year, net (±16%)
+48.17 MtDeforestation67.6% of the total
+10.89 MtForest degradation15.3%
+2.68 MtSustainable managementPublic plantations, 3.8%
-9.53 MtEnhancement of carbon stocksRemovals, 13.4%
The Forest Reference Level (FRL) is the benchmark against which Kenya's REDD+ performance is measured. Kenya proposes an FRL of 52,204,059 t CO₂ per year (± 8,299,540 t, about 16%): the average annual net emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks between 2002 and 2018, monitored at four-year intervals. Results below this level indicate emission reductions.
The building blocks agreed by the Technical Working Group
| Element | Kenya's choice |
|---|---|
| Forest definition | At least 15% canopy cover, 0.5 ha, 2 m height at maturity; tea and coffee excluded |
| Scale | National |
| Scope (REDD+ activities) | Deforestation, forest degradation, sustainable management of forests (public plantations), enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Conservation is not included |
| Gases | Carbon dioxide (CO₂) only |
| Carbon pools | Above-ground and below-ground biomass |
| Reference period | 2002–2018, four epochs of four years |
| Construction method | Historical average of emissions and removals; IPCC approach 3 (wall-to-wall maps); combination of local data and IPCC defaults |
These are the figures of Kenya's FRL as submitted in December 2019. If a modified FRL was adopted after the UNFCCC technical assessment, its figures replace these; KFS will confirm the final version.
Source: Ministry of Environment and Forestry, The National Forest Reference Level for REDD+ Implementation, December 2019 (Kenya’s FRL submission to the UNFCCC). Executive summary, chapters 2, 4 and 7.