Building upon a long history of active participation in the Kyoto process, the FOR program continues to contribute to the UNFCCC negotiations through the organization of side events relating to the mitigation potential of forest related options. Following on the successful side-event in Bali, Indonesia at COP13, FOR represented IIASA through organized side events in 2008 in both Accra, Ghana and COP14 in Poznan, Poland.

Forestry Program researchers presented their findings on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Ecosystem Degradation (REDD) at the UNFCCC Climate Change Talks at an IIASA Side Event in Accra, Ghana.

IIASA's FOR Program participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP14 in Poznan, Poland, from 1–12 December 2008. FOR researchers proposed a new international body and method to cut deforestation greenhouse gases and presented a methodology to compare mitigation potentials and costs in Annex I countries in 2020.