The Secretariat of the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) is pleased to share an update on its process to review its standard, The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (TREES). ART’s governance requires this review every three years to build on the experiences gained implementing TREES and to continue to align with emerging best practice.

As announced in May 2024, the ART Secretariat is following the steps outlined below to ensure an effective and inclusive process.

  1. Engaging in targeted dialogues with key stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), NGOs, civil society and technical service providers, to gather inputs and experiences implementing TREES 2.0;
  2. Identifying elements that may benefit from updates and clarifications and working with expert committees, as appropriate, to draft proposed revisions;
  3. Publishing a Board-approved draft revised version of TREES for public comment;
  4. Gathering feedback through a 60-day global public comment period;
  5. As approved by the ART Board, modifying the revised draft of TREES based on public comments received; and
  6. Publishing TREES 3.0 as approved by the ART Board, alongside responses to comments made during the public comment period.

The Secretariat is pleased to share that the first step in this process will be completed shortly.

In June, August, and October 2024, ART held three in-person regional dialogues with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, cohosted with ANECAP, CIPRED, and REPALEAC, respectively. The dialogues included participants from a total of 20 countries who shared their perspectives and recommendations for the next version of TREES.

In January 2025, ART met with stakeholders with specific expertise in implementing or engaging with TREES and received written feedback from additional stakeholders who wished to provide input. ART engaged with and received feedback from more than two dozen stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, civil society and technical service providers for carbon accounting and safeguards. These inputs will help the ART Secretariat identify key areas to consider in the next step of the process.

ART wishes to thank ANECAP, CIPRED, and REPALEAC for their assistance in facilitating and orchestrating the in-person regional dialogues and to the IPLC Advisory Group for the TREES review who helped define the key issues on which we should solicit inputs.

The Secretariat is working with the IPLC Advisory Group to synthesize the inputs received during the dialogues, as well as the written and verbal feedback received from stakeholders. The Advisory Group members are generating recommendations for possible revisions, clarifications and supporting tools and trainings. The members will also review and provide comments on drafts of updated sections of TREES as appropriate, prior to the global public comment period. 

Next, the ART Secretariat and ART Board will proceed to implement the steps in the process as outlined above. We anticipate that a draft version of TREES 3.0 for global public comment will be released in the summer of 2025 and target the release of a final version (TREES 3.0) for publication in late 2025.