Planning Guide: Integrating REDD+ accounting within a nested approach

In many countries that are pursuing REDD+, subnational and publication-level REDD+ initiatives are being established to build capacity and achieve early emissions reductions and removals.  As national-level REDD+ mechanisms are established, integration of subnational and publication initiatives into the national system will be required so as to avoid disparities in accounting and allocation of incentives.  This process of harmonizing or integrating REDD+ publications and subnational efforts into the national system is commonly referred to as “nesting” or following a “nested approach”. However, consensus on designing a nested system has not yet appeared, and few precedents exist for how nested systems could be structured.

This planning guide bridges this gap by presenting a step-by-step framework for identifying and addressing the challenges associated with developing an integrated accounting framework. It seeks to instruct national-level REDD+ decision makers, REDD+ committee or task force members, and other stakeholders working with the REDD+ process in planning and implementing a nested approach to REDD+.