akar.earthHFLD: Definition
What is HFLD (high forest, low deforestation)? How HFLD jurisdictions earn REDD+ credits under ART TREES, why it matters, and which Indonesian provinces fit.
HFLD stands for high forest, low deforestation. It describes jurisdictions that still have a large share of forest cover and historically low deforestation rates, and the crediting approaches that let them earn results-based finance for keeping forests standing.
Why it matters
Conventional REDD+ pays for reductions below a historical baseline. That rewards places that deforested heavily in the past and then slowed down, but offers little to places that protected their forests all along. HFLD jurisdictions often face rising pressure from roads, mining and agriculture. Without finance, low historical deforestation can quickly turn into high future deforestation. HFLD crediting addresses that gap.
How HFLD crediting works
- Eligibility: jurisdictions must meet forest cover and deforestation thresholds set by the standard.
- Crediting level: adjusted to recognise maintained forest carbon stocks, rather than only reductions below history.
- Safeguards: the same environmental and social safeguards as other jurisdictional REDD+.
- Monitoring: jurisdiction-wide forest monitoring with uncertainty deductions.
ART TREES offers an HFLD crediting approach under its jurisdictional REDD+ framework. Buyers and analysts debate how additional HFLD credits are, so integrity rules and transparent eligibility matter.
Indonesia angle
Some Indonesian provinces, notably in Papua, still have very high forest cover and historically lower deforestation than Sumatra or Kalimantan. They face growing pressure from infrastructure, agriculture and extractive industries. See our page on Papua. Whether Indonesian provinces can access HFLD crediting depends on national rules under Perpres 110/2025 and how sub-national programmes relate to the NDC and FOLU Net Sink 2030.
Common mistakes
- Assuming any forested district qualifies; the standard sets thresholds.
- Treating HFLD credits as equivalent to avoided-deforestation credits in claims.
- Ignoring indigenous land rights, which are central in high-forest regions.
- Expecting HFLD credits to be priced like removals; buyers usually value them differently and want clear evidence of rising future pressure.
Related terms
See jurisdictional REDD+, REDD+ and nesting, or start at the REDD+ hub.
Frequently asked questions
Why do HFLD jurisdictions need special rules?
Standard REDD+ credits reductions below historical deforestation. Places with very little past deforestation cannot show such reductions, even though their forests face future pressure. HFLD rules let them earn credits for keeping forest intact.
Which standard credits HFLD?
ART TREES includes an HFLD crediting approach for eligible jurisdictions. Check the current TREES version for eligibility criteria.