In recent years there has been increasing support for establishing successful models of REDD+ and low emissions development (LED) efforts at a jurisdictional scale. Jurisdictional efforts were designed to overcome the shortcomings of project-based approaches by working across land-use types and with multiple stakeholders to create models for national implementation. This study analyzes some of the most advanced REDD+/LED initiatives worldwide - including a critical look at the success and challenges to date - to understand what is needed to succeed going forward. Eight diverse jurisdictions were studied: Acre, Brazil; Berau, Indonesia; Ghana’s cocoa ecoregion; Mai Ndombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); San Martín, Peru; São Félix do Xingu, Brazil; the Terai Arc, Nepal; and the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.