Zambia Training on ART-TREES Safeguards and MRV requirements
Date: 2-6 June 2025
Venue: Lusaka, Zambia
This is a collaboration between UNEP and FAO, through the AIM4Forests programme, with the following objectives and outcomes;
Training Objectives
The objective of this training activity covers MRV under ART-TREES and will provide participants with a complete understanding of the ART-TREES standard and its requirements for the quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals.
This would include training on developing a monitoring plan, collecting and managing activity data and emission factors, preparing and submitting TREES Monitoring Reports, understanding the verification process, and addressing reversals and leakage. The training will also take the opportunity to review and discuss a potential jurisdictional program in Zambia using data collected as part of the ILUA I and II national forest inventories as well as MRV related monitoring undertaken as part of the UN-REDD support to Zambia.
In addition to building technical capacity on MRV, this training will provide participants with a strong foundation in understanding and operationalizing REDD+ safeguards, recognizing them as a critical pillar for jurisdictional program credibility and eligibility for climate finance. The training will revisit the UNFCCC Cancun Safeguards, exploring their application through Zambia’s Safeguards Information System (SIS) and the national Summary of Information (SOI) process. This foundation will help participants understand how Zambia’s safeguard systems support social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).
With Zambia aiming to align with high-integrity standards such as ART-TREES, participants will also engage in a comparative review of these standards’ safeguard criteria. ART-TREES, for instance, emphasizes demonstration of effective safeguard implementation, stakeholder participation, grievance redress, and benefit-sharing—key components of the TREES Requirements that build upon but go beyond the Cancun framework
Training Outcomes
The objective of the training is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to design, implement, and manage robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems, as well as safeguards under the ART-TREES standard. The training aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ART-TREES framework, its requirements, and the procedures for quantifying, measuring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions and removals. Upon completion of the training, participants will be able to develop comprehensive monitoring plans that meet ART-TREES specifications and demonstrate competence in data collection and management. They will also understand the importance of incorporating Cancún Safeguards into the MRV process and be prepared for the verification process by accredited Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs). The training will also provide participants with an opportunity to review and explore opportunities for a jurisdictional REDD+ project in Zambia using country sourced data and potentially discuss establishing a program in a selected province.
The training outcome is to equip attendees to articulate the core principles and functions of the UNFCCC Cancun Safeguards and explain how Zambia’s Safeguards Information System (SIS) and Summary of Information (SOI) contribute to demonstrating safeguards implementation and access to climate finance. Participants will also understand the way in which the TREES criteria are consistent with and build upon the UNFCCC decisions including the Paris Agreement, the Warsaw Framework and the Cancún Safeguards.