Publication - 6 June, 2011
Decisions made on reference levels will play a large part in determining whether REDD –Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation - will strengthen or weaken the global effort to avert catastrophic climate change.
National reference levels that provide
incentives for real, permanent emission reductions from historic levels could help close the gigatonne gap that remains following the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, while projected reference levels could take parties even further away from their commitment to keep global temperature rise below 2oC. Furthermore, the use of sub-national reference levels in the absence of a national reference level could actively undermine ongoing actions to reduce emissions from deforestation
REDD: Reference Levels