Presented by Zuelclady M.F Araujo Gutierrez, IDOM, at Online Workshop Capacity Building on the IPCC 2013 Wetlands Supplement, FREL Diagnostic and Uncertainty Analysis, April 16th, 2020

2. Session 7
Description of TACCC principles
Zuelclady M.F Araujo Gutierrez
16 April 2020

3. Objectives
• Present the general context
of the IPCC principles
(TACCC) required to develop
the FREL.
• Define of the TACCC
concepts and its implication
during the development a
FREL.
• Present some examples of
the application of the TACCC
principles.

4. UNFCCC Context
1/CP16
• Parr. 70: contribute to
mitigation actions:
deforestation,
degradation,
conservation,
management and
enhancement of
stocks.
• Parr. 71(b): develop a
FREL in accordance
with national
circumstances.
12/CP17.
• Parr. 12: update FREL
periodically, taken into
account new
knowledge.
• Parr. 15 Process that
enables Technical
Assessment
• Annex: TA: data,
methodologies and
procedures.
• TA: Transparent,
complete, consistent
and accurate.
13/CP19
• Annex: assess the
accordance with
guidelines.
• Facilitative, non-
intrusive
• Technical exchange of
information.
• Consistency with
anthropogenic GHG
• Historical data
• Give
recommendations

5. Information for FREL
(a) Information that was used in constructing a forest reference emission level, including
historical data, in a comprehensive and transparent way;
(b) Transparent, complete, consistent and accurate information, including methodological
information, a description of data sets, approaches, methods, models, if applicable and
assumptions used, descriptions of relevant policies and plans, and descriptions of changes
from previously submitted information;
(c) The reasons for omitting a pool and/or activity from the construction of forest reference
emission levels and/or forest reference levels, noting that significant pools and/or activities
should not be excluded;
(d) The definition of forest used in the construction of forest reference emission levels, in case
there is a difference with the definition of forest used in the national greenhouse gas
inventory;
(e) Completeness refer to provision of information that allows for the reconstruction of the
FREL.

6. TA will assess:
(a) If FREL Maintains consistency with corresponding anthropogenic forest-related
greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks as contained in the NGHGI;
(b) How historical data have been taken into account in the establishment of the FREL;
(c) The extent to which the information provided was transparent, complete, consistent and
accurate:
(a) including methodological information, description of data sets, approaches,
methods, models,
(b) assumptions used and whether the FREL cover less than the entire national territory
of forest area;
(d) Whether a description of relevant policies and plans has been provided;
(e) Descriptions of changes to previously submitted FREL*;
(f) Pools and gases, and activities included in the FREL and justification of why omitted pools
and/or activities were deemed not significant;
(g) Whether the definition of forest used in the construction of the FREL, If different from
GHGI why and how the definition used was chosen;

7. TACCC
Transparency
•Assumptions
and
methodologies
used for the
FREL should be
clearly
explained to
facilitate
replication and
assessment of
the FREL by
users of the
reported
information.
Consistency
•Should be
consistent in all
its elements
with the
BUR/GHGI for
the same period
of time.
•FREL is
consistent if the
same
methodologies,
data sets are
used to
estimate
emissions or
removals from
sources and
sinks.
Comparability
•The FREL
emissions
should be
comparable
with the
BUR/GHGI.
•Not really part
of the
principles to
assess the
FREL.
Completeness
•Covers all
sources and
sinks, as well as
all gases,
included in the
IPCC Guidelines
as well as other
existing
relevant
source/sink
categories
which are
specific to
individual
Parties.
• Full geographic
coverage of
sources and
sinks of a Party.
Accuracy
•Measure of the
exactness of an
emission or
removal
estimate.
•Estimates
should be
accurate in the
sense that they
are
systematically
neither over nor
under true
emissions or
removals.
•Uncertainties
are reduced as
far as possible.

8. TACCC principles and FREL
elements
Methodology
Omitted
Statistical
procedures
Incomplete
uncertainty
Gases
Justification
Transparency
Activity
Pools

9. TACCC principles and FREL
elements
Methodology
Pools,
stocks,
sinks
Statistical
procedures
Uncertainty
Justification
Accuracy
Forest
definition

10. TACCC principles and FREL
elements
Forest
definition
Methods
Carbon
Pools
Activity
data
Emission
estimations
Emission
factors
Geo.
Scope
Consistency

11. TACCC principles and FREL
elements
Temporary
unstocked
forest
areas
Uncertainty
Geographic
approach
All
information
included in
GHGI
Land
transition
Image
interpretation
Pools
Time
series
Stocks
Completeness

12. TACCC principles and FREL
elements
Temporary
unstocke
d forest
areas
Time
series
consistency
Transparency
Land
transition
Matrix
Image
interpretation
Stratification
of forest
Time
series
consistency
Consistency
Allometric
equations
Historical data
Transversal

13. Examples
In order to obtain activity data, Country X has used image interpretation techniques
by combining visual and digital interpretation. For the latter, Country X uses visual
interpretation with a large number of different image interpreters. It is not clear if it is
the same methodology used for the GHGI
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

14. Examples
Country X has used image interpretation techniques inconsistently
To obtain activity data, the country: combine visual and digital interpretation, for
visual interpretation they have used a large number of different image interpreters,
which may increase the estimation errors of the FREL/FRLs.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy
• Using a consistent approach to geospatial interpretation across the time series
such as automated or digital interpretation in order to ensure coherent
interpretation instead of mixing visual and digital interpretation.
• Moving from single-date interpretation to interpretation techniques for time
series of satellite images.
• Introducing automated processing to ensure a coherent interpretation when a
large number of different image interpreters are involved.
• To compare multi-temporal compound images (direct classification of changes)
instead of comparing independent land use maps for different years.
Good Practice

15. Examples (2)
Dasometric information from the National Forest assessments for mangrove forest
was not considered for the FREL due to the high error associated with the
corresponding emission factors, which arose because their values were derived from
measurements taken at only two sample plots. Country X consider mangrove as wet
broadleaved forest
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

16. Examples (2)
Dasometric information from the national forest assessments for mangrove forest
was not considered for the FREL due to the high error associated with the
corresponding emission factors, which arose because their values were derived from
measurements taken at only two sample plots. Country X consider mangrove as wet
broadleaved forest
• Country X included mangrove forest as an independent stratum for which
specific emission factors were derived. Specifically, information on above-
ground and below-ground biomass was taken from a subnational study that
analyzed the organic carbon in mangroves, while information from the
national forest inventory of Country Y was used to derive emission factors for
the other carbon pools.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy
• Include this category as a different stratum, in order to increase the overall
accuracy and transparency of the FREL.
• Even uncertainty for this category increase.

17. Examples (3)
Country X has not considered the carbon stocks corresponding to the land use after
deforestation takes place (that is, that the post-deforestation carbon stocks equal
zero).
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

18. Examples (3)
Overestimating emissions from deforestation. Country X has not considered the
carbon stocks corresponding to the land use after deforestation takes place (that is,
that the post-deforestation carbon stocks equal zero). This has been due to a lack of
data on post-deforestation land uses and due to lack of carbon stock values for the
specific post-deforestation land use.
• Using the average carbon stocks of a variety of crops associated to post-
deforestation land uses.
• Using default values from the IPCC as an interim solution to enhance the
accuracy of the FREL/FRL.
• Using default values for annual and perennial crops.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

19. Examples (4)
The uncertainty of the emission factor for forest plantations in is only 1.44 per cent,
while that for Rainforest X is 32 per cent. Country X did not provide detailed
information on the methods used to estimate the uncertainty of the emission factors.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

20. Examples (4)
The uncertainty of the emission factor for forest plantations in mainland Country X is
only 1.44 per cent, while that for Rainforest X is 32 per cent. Country X did not
provide detailed information on the methods used to estimate the uncertainty of the
emission factors.
• Provide transparent information on the methods used to estimate
uncertainty.
• Include quantitative uncertainty data on all potential sources of error,
including emission factors, activity data and the FREL/FRL itself.
• Uncertainty analysis shall include all potential sources of error.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

21. Examples (5)
Forest fire emissions represent the 23% of the AFOLU sector for the Country X in the
GHGI, this emission were not included in the FREL. The main reason for such
exclusion has been the lack of sufficient reliable data to integrate them into the
FREL/FRL, or even to determine their significance.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy

22. Examples (5)
• The countries should include the reasons for omitting a pool and/or activity
from the construction of FREL/FRL.
• Establishment of justification of the omitted activities.
• Include, subject to its capabilities and national circumstances, emissions
from deforestation and forest degradation, if any, in future FREL
submissions.
Transparency ComparabilityConsistency Completeness Accuracy
Forest fire emissions represent the 23% of the AFOLU sector for the Country X in the
GHGI, this emission were not included in the FREL. The main reason for such
exclusion has been the lack of sufficient reliable data to integrate them into the
FREL/FRL, or even to determine their significance.

23. Acknowledgements
The capacity building materials were made possible through a grant
given by the Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative
(NICFI) to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
under the Agreement No. INS 2070-19/0010. While CIFOR gratefully
acknowledges the support, the information provided in the
materials do not represent the views or positions of the Norwegian
Government. CIFOR would like to recognize the support by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in
generating some of information used in the materials.

24. Thank you