Story perspectives

New Studies Validate Global Forest Data and REDD+ Tools

4/30/2026

Summary

Researchers Validate Forests

Researchers validated Global Forest Change data for national forest-cover estimates in Gabon (Sannier et al., 2016).
A 2019 study provided global tools to assess forest loss and REDD+ performance, stressing accuracy and uncertainty (Bos et al., 2019).
Monitoring from 1990-2019 documented forest-cover changes in humid tropical regions worldwide (Vancutsem et al., 2021).
A 2025 study applied placebo tests to evaluate REDD+ counterfactual methods (Rau et al., 2025).

Summary

Verra Releases Methods

Verra released the VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (v1.1) and VM0048 REDD methodology (v1.0) in 2023.
Verra released the VM0045 Improved Forest Management methodology (v1.2) in 2020.
The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions issued the second edition of its REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES) version 2.0 in 2021.
Oeko warned in 2024 that the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)’s approval of three REDD methodologies threatens the initiative’s integrity.

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Researchers Validate Forests

Researchers validated Global Forest Change data for national forest-cover estimates in Gabon (Sannier et al., 2016).
A 2019 study provided global tools to assess forest loss and REDD+ performance, stressing accuracy and uncertainty (Bos et al., 2019).
Monitoring from 1990-2019 documented forest-cover changes in humid tropical regions worldwide (Vancutsem et al., 2021).
A 2025 study applied placebo tests to evaluate REDD+ counterfactual methods (Rau et al., 2025).

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