1. Sudan seeks to use GCF readiness support to complete and consolidate the REDD+ readiness preparation and to start the implementation/investment phase on emission reductions (ER) and carbon removal projects and programme. In particular, Sudan intends to use the readiness support to develop its National Forest Reference Level (FRL),building on the experience, data and capacities obtained through the construction of a subnational forest reference level, Sudan developed following the UNFCCC guidance on elaborating a subnational FRL as an interim measure applying the stepwise approach to develop a national level FRL. This subnational FRL covers about 7.2% of the country’s total area and about 11% of the total forest land in Sudan. The UNFCCC technical assessment (TA) of the Sudan’s subnational FRL has been completed in April 2021. The conclusion of TA contained in the Technical Assessment Report (TAR)1 stating that “The information used by the Sudan in constructing its FRL for reducing emissions from deforestation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks is transparent and complete and in overall accordance with the guidelines for submissions of information on reference levels. The Assessment Team (AT) acknowledges that the Sudan included in its FRL the most significant activities, the most important forest types in the subnational area considered in the submission and the most significant pools in terms of emissions from forests. The AT commends the Sudan for providing information on its ongoing work to develop FRELs or FRLs for other activities, as well as for other areas in the country, as a step towards constructing a national FREL or FRL”.

2. The AT also identified areas for future technical improvement of the FRL included in the TAR, section III. In developing a national FRL, as proposed in this readiness request, Sudan will build on the experiences and technical capacities developed through the preparation and TA process of the subnational FRL, including the methodologies used in obtaining the activity data and emission factors, as well as the approach followed for the construction of the subnational FRL. In doing so, Sudan will address the technical areas for improvement identified in the conclusion of the TAR.

3. Sudan also aims to build through this readiness support,technical and institutional capacity within the REDD+ related institutions in relation to FRL, Measuring Reporting and Verification (MRV),National Forest MonitoringSystem (NFMS) and other mechanisms established for REDD+ implementation. In addition, the process of preparing the national FRL will enable Sudan to prepare pipelines of ER projects/programmes, implement emission reduction interventions in line with the National REDD+ Strategy(NRS) and Sudan’s National Determined Contributions (NDCs), monitor and report results and achieve overall progress towards the objectives of the national forest programme.

4. Sudan’s REDD+ readiness preparation,which began in 2016, has completed the setting up of the institutional arrangements for REDD+ within the related sectors, including conducting the Strategic Social and Environmental Assessment (SESA) and establishing the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). Further preparatory work has included developing a Feedback Grievance Redress Mechanism (FGRM) and benefit-sharing mechanism(BSM), completion of National Forest Inventory (NFI) and subnational FRL. Furthermore, Sudan is currently completing work on the emissions reduction programme (in the area of the subnational FRL), NFMS, MRV, Safeguards Information Systems (SIS) and updating the national REDD+ strategy.

5. Therefore, this request is in line with Sudan’s national priority of completing and consolidating the REDD+ readiness phase, starting the REDD+ implementation phase, and meeting climate change obligations as stipulated in Sudan’s NDCs, contributing to global mitigation efforts through reducing emissions associated within the forest and land use sectors and increasing their carbon sequestration (removal) potential.

6. The main beneficiaries of this proposal are:TheHigher Council of Environment and Natural Resources, the REDD+ Management Unitestablished within the Forest National Corporation (FNC) and the Sudanese Remote Sensing and Seismology Authority (RSSA).