This document summarizes the role and work of CIFOR-ICRAF, a research group focused on sustainable land use. CIFOR-ICRAF has over 750 staff working in 30 countries on issues related to forests, trees, landscapes, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Some of their key work includes developing forest reference emission levels to support climate policy, refining IPCC guidelines on greenhouse gas inventories, and conducting long-term research projects around REDD+ and agroforestry in over 90 countries. CIFOR-ICRAF has invested over $2 billion globally in research since 1993, including over $200 million in Indonesia where they have conducted over 150 forestry and agroforestry projects

1. THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
FOREST REFERENCE EMISSION LEVEL
CIFOR-ICRAF
Trees, forests and landscapes for
people and the planet
Robert NASI
13 June 2022
Bogor

2. About CIFOR-ICRAF
A world-class research group with two legal entities
(CIFOR and ICRAF), the Global Landscapes Forum
platform and Resilient Landscapes initiative ,
delivering actionable solutions on the role of trees,
forests and landscapes in solving the global crises of
land degradation and biodiversity loss, climate
change, unsustainable food systems and value
chains and inequity.

3. Deforestation and biodiversity loss
A climate in crisis
Unsustainable supply and value chains
Transforming food systems
Extreme inequality
Working to solve global challenges
Our research addresses the following global challenges and
offers actionable, game-changing solutions to achieve
sustainable transformation.
Our strategy is
aligned with
the Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs)

4. Trees and
forests genetic
resources, and
biodiversity
Climate
change,
energy and
low-carbon
development
Our research expertise
Our research is organized around the following topics:
Sustainable
value chains
and
investments
Soil and land
health
Governance,
equity and
well-being

5. USD $2bn
total invested in
research
740
staff in 30
countries
>2,200
projects completed
in 92 countries
25,000
research
products
Worldwide presence and impact
Sustainable Wetlands
Adaptation and
Mitigation Program
(SWAMP) USAID funded
122
active
partnerships
Regreening Africa
European
Commission
Global Comparative
Study on REDD+
Global, Norad funded
FORETS
Yangambi, DRC,
European Commission
South Asia Regional
Programme (SARP)
Honghe Innovation
Centre for Mountain
Futures, China
Highlight
projects from
our global
portfolio

6. CIFOR’S WORK IN INDONESIA

7. ICRAF Indonesia since 1993
Green Growth Planning
Research priorities
Green Growth Planning
Innovative financing Green value chain
Landscape governance
Landscape governance
Payment for Ecosystem services Payment for Ecosystem Services
Active research
Agroforestry system Agroforestry system

8. INVESTING IN and FOR INDONESIA
Although CIFOR and ICRAF mandate
are global, Indonesia has always
enjoyed a significant share of the our
investments in both research and
personnel.
150+ forestry and agroforestry related
research projects in Indonesia since
1993
>US$200
CIFOR and ICRAF research investments
in Indonesia 1993-2021

9. CIFOR-ICRAF research, capacity building &
engagement to deliver ambitious climate policy
and action across scales
Gender & Social Equity Rigorous performance assessment
Increased resilience and adaptive
capacity of people and ecosystems
Mitigation of land-based emissions that
generates environmental and social
benefits
T
ransition to circular bioeconomy
through integrated production of
food, bioenergy and renewable
biomaterials

10. Global comparative studies to unlock incentives to protect (and restore) tropical forests
and enhance rights
CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+ (2009-2023)
ICRAF’s Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn Programme (ASB)
Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins (since 1994)
Blue - Partner institutions Red - Engagement sites
Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation
Program (2009- 2022)
ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate
Change (2011-2020)

11. Examples of GCS-
REDD+ policy impacts
• Global:
• GCF Sectoral guidelines on Ecosystem Services and Forestry
• World Bank- Enable Fund SISAP
• FACT Dialogues
• UNFCCC: stepwise MRV
• IPCC refinement methodologies
• LEAF Stakeholder Engagement Group
• Regional:
• ASEAN agroforestry guidelines
• Countries:
• Indonesia: REDD+ strategy, FREL refinement
• Peru: legal recognition peatlands
• Guyana: forest monitoring capacity
• Vietnam: payments for forest environmental services program, carbon
rights

12. Critical importance of partnerships
Endorsed by the
Minister for
Environment,
Climate Change and
NaturalResources
• Inclusion of
agroforestry in its
updated NDC in 2020
• National M&E system
and payment
guidelines for
Payment for
Environmental
Services adopted
• Research findings on
carbon rights are being
used by the
government to develop
its new Decree
CIFOR’s science
on wetlands for
Indonesian
measurement,
reporting and
verification and
forest reference
emission level
development
• Inclusion of
peatland in
national GHG
inventory
• In Peru, the
Protected Areas
Service
(SERNANP)
adopted tool to
ensure
stakeholders
engagement
ERPA Benefit
sharing plan
for Ivory
Coast
National level

13. Forest Reference Emission Levels (FREL)
• FREL are critical in MRV processes and to
achieve the Paris Agreement, and
• CIFOR scientists made critical contributions in
MRV and FREL processes:
• Development of higher tier emission factors
• Identification and quantification of missing sources/sinks of
GHG
• Quantification of non-CO2 gases (CH4, N2O)
• Incorporation of mangrove soil carbon following IPCC
Guidelines
• Improvement in FREL uncertainty analysis

14. IPCC guidelines for national GHG inventories
• Agriculture: 2/3 terrestrial emissions with 6 Tg N2O y-1
Managed soils: 35-86% of agricultural N2O emissions
• Refinement of the IPCC emission factor for direct N2O
emissions from nitrogen inputs to manage soils:
Disaggregation by climate (dry versus wet) and fertilizer type
(synthetic versus organic)
• Hergoualc’h et al (2019). Chapter 11 N2O Emissions from Managed
Soils and CO2 Emissions from Lime and Urea Application." In 2019
Refinement to the 2006 Ipcc Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas
Inventories – Volume 4 Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use. Edited
by E. Calvo Buendia et al. Switzerland: IPCC, 2019
Kristell Hergoualc’h: k.hergoualch@cgiar.org

16. We would like to acknowledge and thank our funders for this
important work: Norway’s International Climate and Forest
Initiative (NICFI) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
cifor-icraf.org | globallandscapesforum.org | resilient-landscapes.org
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world
where trees in all landscapes, from drylands to the humid tropics, enhance the environment and well-being for
all. CIFOR and ICRAF are CGIAR Research Centers.
Thank you for your attention