Nature-based
Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation
Forestation is the process of planting or replanting trees to enhance carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Agroforestry integrates trees within agriculture production systems. These approaches are collectively known as afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR). We include criteria for Improved forest management (IFM) and Mangrove forestation in separate sections. Given the large amount of degraded land around the globe, ARR approaches offer substantial opportunities to remove carbon from the atmosphere while simultaneously providing important co-benefits to communities and nature. ARR projects have complex social, ecological, and economic land-use dynamics, which are place-based. Given this, it is essential to site projects in socially as well as environmentally appropriate areas.
Nature-based
Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation
Forestation is the process of planting or replanting trees to enhance carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Agroforestry integrates trees within agriculture production systems. These approaches are collectively known as afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR). We include criteria for Improved forest management (IFM) and Mangrove forestation in separate sections. Given the large amount of degraded land around the globe, ARR approaches offer substantial opportunities to remove carbon from the atmosphere while simultaneously providing important co-benefits to communities and nature. ARR projects have complex social, ecological, and economic land-use dynamics, which are place-based. Given this, it is essential to site projects in socially as well as environmentally appropriate areas.
Nature-based
Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation
Forestation is the process of planting or replanting trees to enhance carbon storage and other ecosystem services. Agroforestry integrates trees within agriculture production systems. These approaches are collectively known as afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR). We include criteria for Improved forest management (IFM) and Mangrove forestation in separate sections. Given the large amount of degraded land around the globe, ARR approaches offer substantial opportunities to remove carbon from the atmosphere while simultaneously providing important co-benefits to communities and nature. ARR projects have complex social, ecological, and economic land-use dynamics, which are place-based. Given this, it is essential to site projects in socially as well as environmentally appropriate areas.
Forestation and revegetation
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Verify the tenure status of the target lands and develop projects only on land with clear and secure land tenure to reduce the risk of disputes and disenfranchisement of local communities.
Avoid violence when establishing or protecting forested areas.
Respect local or traditional approaches to land ownership and management, decision making, and benefit distribution.
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on people when selecting species for forestation.
Ensure that, where project activities displace existing ones, alternative livelihoods substitute for displaced activities (including activities deemed destructive or illicit). When project activities displace subsistence agriculture, ensure that this does not increase food insecurity
Promote locally relevant gender integration, such as explicitly incorporating women into project activities, as well as incorporating low-income and other marginalized communities.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for communities to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements that are appropriate for the type of local land tenure, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenue the rights holders will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Project developers should
Work with experienced local partners to select project locations, species, and planting approaches.
Work with a third-party land rights specialist to develop the land tenure verification process.
Proactively plan for the job security and economic stability of workers to mitigate the short duration of many forestation activities (e.g., through longer-term employment across multiple parcels in a region).
Actively promote long-term sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., support local workforce development programs and initiatives).
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Verify the tenure status of the target lands and develop projects only on land with clear and secure land tenure to reduce the risk of disputes and disenfranchisement of local communities.
Avoid violence when establishing or protecting forested areas.
Respect local or traditional approaches to land ownership and management, decision making, and benefit distribution.
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on people when selecting species for forestation.
Ensure that, where project activities displace existing ones, alternative livelihoods substitute for displaced activities (including activities deemed destructive or illicit). When project activities displace subsistence agriculture, ensure that this does not increase food insecurity
Promote locally relevant gender integration, such as explicitly incorporating women into project activities, as well as incorporating low-income and other marginalized communities.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for communities to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements that are appropriate for the type of local land tenure, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenue the rights holders will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Project developers should
Work with experienced local partners to select project locations, species, and planting approaches.
Work with a third-party land rights specialist to develop the land tenure verification process.
Proactively plan for the job security and economic stability of workers to mitigate the short duration of many forestation activities (e.g., through longer-term employment across multiple parcels in a region).
Actively promote long-term sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., support local workforce development programs and initiatives).
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Verify the tenure status of the target lands and develop projects only on land with clear and secure land tenure to reduce the risk of disputes and disenfranchisement of local communities.
Avoid violence when establishing or protecting forested areas.
Respect local or traditional approaches to land ownership and management, decision making, and benefit distribution.
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on people when selecting species for forestation.
Ensure that, where project activities displace existing ones, alternative livelihoods substitute for displaced activities (including activities deemed destructive or illicit). When project activities displace subsistence agriculture, ensure that this does not increase food insecurity
Promote locally relevant gender integration, such as explicitly incorporating women into project activities, as well as incorporating low-income and other marginalized communities.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for communities to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements that are appropriate for the type of local land tenure, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenue the rights holders will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Project developers should
Work with experienced local partners to select project locations, species, and planting approaches.
Work with a third-party land rights specialist to develop the land tenure verification process.
Proactively plan for the job security and economic stability of workers to mitigate the short duration of many forestation activities (e.g., through longer-term employment across multiple parcels in a region).
Actively promote long-term sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., support local workforce development programs and initiatives).
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Verify the tenure status of the target lands and develop projects only on land with clear and secure land tenure to reduce the risk of disputes and disenfranchisement of local communities.
Avoid violence when establishing or protecting forested areas.
Respect local or traditional approaches to land ownership and management, decision making, and benefit distribution.
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on people when selecting species for forestation.
Ensure that, where project activities displace existing ones, alternative livelihoods substitute for displaced activities (including activities deemed destructive or illicit). When project activities displace subsistence agriculture, ensure that this does not increase food insecurity
Promote locally relevant gender integration, such as explicitly incorporating women into project activities, as well as incorporating low-income and other marginalized communities.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for communities to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements that are appropriate for the type of local land tenure, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenue the rights holders will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Project developers should
Work with experienced local partners to select project locations, species, and planting approaches.
Work with a third-party land rights specialist to develop the land tenure verification process.
Proactively plan for the job security and economic stability of workers to mitigate the short duration of many forestation activities (e.g., through longer-term employment across multiple parcels in a region).
Actively promote long-term sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., support local workforce development programs and initiatives).
Forestation and revegetation
Environmental harms and benefits
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Site projects only in places that are ecologically suitable for self-sustaining forest growth and will not cause environmental harm (e.g., water stress).
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on biodiversity when selecting species for forestation.
Avoid the destruction of functionally intact native non-forested ecosystems—such as wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
Avoid damaging, destroying, or harvesting existing trees during site preparation, unless those trees are non-native or diseased.
Avoid using species that have the potential to become invasive and follow the Precautionary Principle.
Select a forestation strategy based on a scientifically defensible interpretation of the site’s ecological and social context. For ecological restoration projects, use a scientifically defensible reference model as a guide to quantify forest recovery.
Prioritize biodiversity and resilience by growing diverse native species, pursuing ecological restoration or natural regeneration of formerly forested areas where possible, and choosing species and seed sources that maximize biodiversity and can flourish under future local climatic conditions.
Prioritize local seed stock collection methods that do not harm natural forests, do not reduce the production of non-timber forest products, and utilize local infrastructure and seed supply chains.
Project developers should
Expand the volume of seeds available to ensure adequate supply for pre-existing demand and to accommodate increased demand from new CDR project activity, prioritizing local job creation whenever possible.
Use cost-effective forestation techniques that harness the site’s natural recovery potential such as applied nucleation, direct seeding, or assisted natural regeneration.
Work to abide by Kew Gardens’ 10 Golden Rules for Reforestation.
Environmental harms and benefits
Environmental harms and benefits
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Site projects only in places that are ecologically suitable for self-sustaining forest growth and will not cause environmental harm (e.g., water stress).
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on biodiversity when selecting species for forestation.
Avoid the destruction of functionally intact native non-forested ecosystems—such as wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
Avoid damaging, destroying, or harvesting existing trees during site preparation, unless those trees are non-native or diseased.
Avoid using species that have the potential to become invasive and follow the Precautionary Principle.
Select a forestation strategy based on a scientifically defensible interpretation of the site’s ecological and social context. For ecological restoration projects, use a scientifically defensible reference model as a guide to quantify forest recovery.
Prioritize biodiversity and resilience by growing diverse native species, pursuing ecological restoration or natural regeneration of formerly forested areas where possible, and choosing species and seed sources that maximize biodiversity and can flourish under future local climatic conditions.
Prioritize local seed stock collection methods that do not harm natural forests, do not reduce the production of non-timber forest products, and utilize local infrastructure and seed supply chains.
Project developers should
Expand the volume of seeds available to ensure adequate supply for pre-existing demand and to accommodate increased demand from new CDR project activity, prioritizing local job creation whenever possible.
Use cost-effective forestation techniques that harness the site’s natural recovery potential such as applied nucleation, direct seeding, or assisted natural regeneration.
Work to abide by Kew Gardens’ 10 Golden Rules for Reforestation.
Environmental harms and benefits
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Site projects only in places that are ecologically suitable for self-sustaining forest growth and will not cause environmental harm (e.g., water stress).
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on biodiversity when selecting species for forestation.
Avoid the destruction of functionally intact native non-forested ecosystems—such as wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
Avoid damaging, destroying, or harvesting existing trees during site preparation, unless those trees are non-native or diseased.
Avoid using species that have the potential to become invasive and follow the Precautionary Principle.
Select a forestation strategy based on a scientifically defensible interpretation of the site’s ecological and social context. For ecological restoration projects, use a scientifically defensible reference model as a guide to quantify forest recovery.
Prioritize biodiversity and resilience by growing diverse native species, pursuing ecological restoration or natural regeneration of formerly forested areas where possible, and choosing species and seed sources that maximize biodiversity and can flourish under future local climatic conditions.
Prioritize local seed stock collection methods that do not harm natural forests, do not reduce the production of non-timber forest products, and utilize local infrastructure and seed supply chains.
Project developers should
Expand the volume of seeds available to ensure adequate supply for pre-existing demand and to accommodate increased demand from new CDR project activity, prioritizing local job creation whenever possible.
Use cost-effective forestation techniques that harness the site’s natural recovery potential such as applied nucleation, direct seeding, or assisted natural regeneration.
Work to abide by Kew Gardens’ 10 Golden Rules for Reforestation.
Environmental harms and benefits
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Site projects only in places that are ecologically suitable for self-sustaining forest growth and will not cause environmental harm (e.g., water stress).
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on biodiversity when selecting species for forestation.
Avoid the destruction of functionally intact native non-forested ecosystems—such as wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
Avoid damaging, destroying, or harvesting existing trees during site preparation, unless those trees are non-native or diseased.
Avoid using species that have the potential to become invasive and follow the Precautionary Principle.
Select a forestation strategy based on a scientifically defensible interpretation of the site’s ecological and social context. For ecological restoration projects, use a scientifically defensible reference model as a guide to quantify forest recovery.
Prioritize biodiversity and resilience by growing diverse native species, pursuing ecological restoration or natural regeneration of formerly forested areas where possible, and choosing species and seed sources that maximize biodiversity and can flourish under future local climatic conditions.
Prioritize local seed stock collection methods that do not harm natural forests, do not reduce the production of non-timber forest products, and utilize local infrastructure and seed supply chains.
Project developers should
Expand the volume of seeds available to ensure adequate supply for pre-existing demand and to accommodate increased demand from new CDR project activity, prioritizing local job creation whenever possible.
Use cost-effective forestation techniques that harness the site’s natural recovery potential such as applied nucleation, direct seeding, or assisted natural regeneration.
Work to abide by Kew Gardens’ 10 Golden Rules for Reforestation.
Forestation and revegetation
Additionality and baselines
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Identify the human and/or environmental drivers of forest loss or degradation and ensure that the proposed interventions are addressing these drivers.
Evaluate the natural regeneration baseline using the best available science to predict natural seedling establishment and forest growth in the absence of tree planting, and to select the most adequate forestation approach.
Explicitly incorporate pre-project natural regeneration into the baseline calculations to ensure accurate accounting.
Ensure pre-project trees are excluded from crediting but are still monitored through the crediting period.
If using a dynamic baseline, use remote sensing protocols that ensure adequate selection (i.e., based on relevant covariates) and matching (i.e., statistical similarity) of project plots to control plots.
If using a dynamic baseline, select a stocking index that correlates closely with in situ forest carbon or biomass as validated by relevant field data or literature, can detect trends in above ground biomass stocks over time with sufficiently low uncertainty, and leads to conservative crediting relative to the project methodology. Prioritize stocking indices based on structural data whenever possible.
Project developers should
Use a dynamic baseline with statistically matched controls if project conditions allow, even if not required by the methodology, to ensure that the project is not crediting carbon removals due to natural regrowth.
Use historical time series of remotely sensed data to show that natural forest recovery is unlikely to occur when claiming a negligible natural regeneration baseline.
Use a crediting approach that adjusts dynamically if legal requirements or other land-use dynamics change over time, especially where the project area is legally supposed to be forested, but it is generally not, or where future land use is uncertain.
Provide credible evidence of barriers to adopting the project’s proposed interventions when making the case for common practice additionality—particularly in landscapes where the proposed intervention is already being used.
Additionality and baselines
Additionality and baselines
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Identify the human and/or environmental drivers of forest loss or degradation and ensure that the proposed interventions are addressing these drivers.
Evaluate the natural regeneration baseline using the best available science to predict natural seedling establishment and forest growth in the absence of tree planting, and to select the most adequate forestation approach.
Explicitly incorporate pre-project natural regeneration into the baseline calculations to ensure accurate accounting.
Ensure pre-project trees are excluded from crediting but are still monitored through the crediting period.
If using a dynamic baseline, use remote sensing protocols that ensure adequate selection (i.e., based on relevant covariates) and matching (i.e., statistical similarity) of project plots to control plots.
If using a dynamic baseline, select a stocking index that correlates closely with in situ forest carbon or biomass as validated by relevant field data or literature, can detect trends in above ground biomass stocks over time with sufficiently low uncertainty, and leads to conservative crediting relative to the project methodology. Prioritize stocking indices based on structural data whenever possible.
Project developers should
Use a dynamic baseline with statistically matched controls if project conditions allow, even if not required by the methodology, to ensure that the project is not crediting carbon removals due to natural regrowth.
Use historical time series of remotely sensed data to show that natural forest recovery is unlikely to occur when claiming a negligible natural regeneration baseline.
Use a crediting approach that adjusts dynamically if legal requirements or other land-use dynamics change over time, especially where the project area is legally supposed to be forested, but it is generally not, or where future land use is uncertain.
Provide credible evidence of barriers to adopting the project’s proposed interventions when making the case for common practice additionality—particularly in landscapes where the proposed intervention is already being used.
Additionality and baselines
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Identify the human and/or environmental drivers of forest loss or degradation and ensure that the proposed interventions are addressing these drivers.
Evaluate the natural regeneration baseline using the best available science to predict natural seedling establishment and forest growth in the absence of tree planting, and to select the most adequate forestation approach.
Explicitly incorporate pre-project natural regeneration into the baseline calculations to ensure accurate accounting.
Ensure pre-project trees are excluded from crediting but are still monitored through the crediting period.
If using a dynamic baseline, use remote sensing protocols that ensure adequate selection (i.e., based on relevant covariates) and matching (i.e., statistical similarity) of project plots to control plots.
If using a dynamic baseline, select a stocking index that correlates closely with in situ forest carbon or biomass as validated by relevant field data or literature, can detect trends in above ground biomass stocks over time with sufficiently low uncertainty, and leads to conservative crediting relative to the project methodology. Prioritize stocking indices based on structural data whenever possible.
Project developers should
Use a dynamic baseline with statistically matched controls if project conditions allow, even if not required by the methodology, to ensure that the project is not crediting carbon removals due to natural regrowth.
Use historical time series of remotely sensed data to show that natural forest recovery is unlikely to occur when claiming a negligible natural regeneration baseline.
Use a crediting approach that adjusts dynamically if legal requirements or other land-use dynamics change over time, especially where the project area is legally supposed to be forested, but it is generally not, or where future land use is uncertain.
Provide credible evidence of barriers to adopting the project’s proposed interventions when making the case for common practice additionality—particularly in landscapes where the proposed intervention is already being used.
Additionality and baselines
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Identify the human and/or environmental drivers of forest loss or degradation and ensure that the proposed interventions are addressing these drivers.
Evaluate the natural regeneration baseline using the best available science to predict natural seedling establishment and forest growth in the absence of tree planting, and to select the most adequate forestation approach.
Explicitly incorporate pre-project natural regeneration into the baseline calculations to ensure accurate accounting.
Ensure pre-project trees are excluded from crediting but are still monitored through the crediting period.
If using a dynamic baseline, use remote sensing protocols that ensure adequate selection (i.e., based on relevant covariates) and matching (i.e., statistical similarity) of project plots to control plots.
If using a dynamic baseline, select a stocking index that correlates closely with in situ forest carbon or biomass as validated by relevant field data or literature, can detect trends in above ground biomass stocks over time with sufficiently low uncertainty, and leads to conservative crediting relative to the project methodology. Prioritize stocking indices based on structural data whenever possible.
Project developers should
Use a dynamic baseline with statistically matched controls if project conditions allow, even if not required by the methodology, to ensure that the project is not crediting carbon removals due to natural regrowth.
Use historical time series of remotely sensed data to show that natural forest recovery is unlikely to occur when claiming a negligible natural regeneration baseline.
Use a crediting approach that adjusts dynamically if legal requirements or other land-use dynamics change over time, especially where the project area is legally supposed to be forested, but it is generally not, or where future land use is uncertain.
Provide credible evidence of barriers to adopting the project’s proposed interventions when making the case for common practice additionality—particularly in landscapes where the proposed intervention is already being used.
Forestation and revegetation
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Verify the tenure status of the target lands and develop projects only on land with clear and secure land tenure to reduce the risk of disputes and disenfranchisement of local communities.
Avoid violence when establishing or protecting forested areas.
Respect local or traditional approaches to land ownership and management, decision making, and benefit distribution.
Consider the impacts (both benefits and costs) on people when selecting species for forestation.
Ensure that, where project activities displace existing ones, alternative livelihoods substitute for displaced activities (including activities deemed destructive or illicit). When project activities displace subsistence agriculture, ensure that this does not increase food insecurity
Promote locally relevant gender integration, such as explicitly incorporating women into project activities, as well as incorporating low-income and other marginalized communities.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for communities to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements that are appropriate for the type of local land tenure, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenue the rights holders will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Project developers should
Work with experienced local partners to select project locations, species, and planting approaches.
Work with a third-party land rights specialist to develop the land tenure verification process.
Proactively plan for the job security and economic stability of workers to mitigate the short duration of many forestation activities (e.g., through longer-term employment across multiple parcels in a region).
Actively promote long-term sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., support local workforce development programs and initiatives).
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use science-based models and assumptions to quantify carbon accumulation in the above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and organic soil pools, when the pool is included. Publicly disclose these models and assumptions in the project documentation.
Specify key assumptions that materially affect modeled carbon accumulation rates, such as the geographic and environmental variables, species-specific allometric models, and expected seedling survival rates.
Use statistical samples and the best-available models (for example, species-specific and region-specific allometric equations) to quantify above-ground carbon. When using ad hoc models or generic allometric equations, provide a science-based justification for the methodological approach.
Quantify changes in below-ground carbon, where this pool is included, using data from in situ sampling or conservative root:shoot ratios (i.e., use smaller ratios to mitigate uncertainty).
Measure and monitor changes in soil carbon when claiming removals in soils, using the criteria listed in the Soil carbon section.
Use ground inventories to validate remotely sensed measurements of above-ground biomass changes.
Quantify any GHG fluxes associated with site preparation, including removal of existing vegetation or long-distance transportation of seeds and seedlings. If GHG fluxes are determined to be insignificant, provide a justification.
Project developers should
Use site-specific data, including but not limited to data collected by the project developer, to better parametrize models used to estimate biomass changes (such as species-specific allometries and wood density measurements).
Ensure that projects are sited on lands where the net impact on soil carbon is expected to be positive (e.g., degraded lands), unless soil carbon is directly measured.
Include an LCA of harvested agroforestry and plantation products if the project includes wood products or agricultural commodities in their carbon accounting.
Quantify applicable and appreciable indirect climate impacts and include them in project carbon accounting. For example, projects sited in high altitude or high latitude areas should include estimated changes in albedo due to establishment of tree cover in the project’s carbon accounting.
Publish or share monitoring data sets whenever possible, especially when working in poorly known ecosystems or where quality information is lacking.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use science-based models and assumptions to quantify carbon accumulation in the above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and organic soil pools, when the pool is included. Publicly disclose these models and assumptions in the project documentation.
Specify key assumptions that materially affect modeled carbon accumulation rates, such as the geographic and environmental variables, species-specific allometric models, and expected seedling survival rates.
Use statistical samples and the best-available models (for example, species-specific and region-specific allometric equations) to quantify above-ground carbon. When using ad hoc models or generic allometric equations, provide a science-based justification for the methodological approach.
Quantify changes in below-ground carbon, where this pool is included, using data from in situ sampling or conservative root:shoot ratios (i.e., use smaller ratios to mitigate uncertainty).
Measure and monitor changes in soil carbon when claiming removals in soils, using the criteria listed in the Soil carbon section.
Use ground inventories to validate remotely sensed measurements of above-ground biomass changes.
Quantify any GHG fluxes associated with site preparation, including removal of existing vegetation or long-distance transportation of seeds and seedlings. If GHG fluxes are determined to be insignificant, provide a justification.
Project developers should
Use site-specific data, including but not limited to data collected by the project developer, to better parametrize models used to estimate biomass changes (such as species-specific allometries and wood density measurements).
Ensure that projects are sited on lands where the net impact on soil carbon is expected to be positive (e.g., degraded lands), unless soil carbon is directly measured.
Include an LCA of harvested agroforestry and plantation products if the project includes wood products or agricultural commodities in their carbon accounting.
Quantify applicable and appreciable indirect climate impacts and include them in project carbon accounting. For example, projects sited in high altitude or high latitude areas should include estimated changes in albedo due to establishment of tree cover in the project’s carbon accounting.
Publish or share monitoring data sets whenever possible, especially when working in poorly known ecosystems or where quality information is lacking.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use science-based models and assumptions to quantify carbon accumulation in the above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and organic soil pools, when the pool is included. Publicly disclose these models and assumptions in the project documentation.
Specify key assumptions that materially affect modeled carbon accumulation rates, such as the geographic and environmental variables, species-specific allometric models, and expected seedling survival rates.
Use statistical samples and the best-available models (for example, species-specific and region-specific allometric equations) to quantify above-ground carbon. When using ad hoc models or generic allometric equations, provide a science-based justification for the methodological approach.
Quantify changes in below-ground carbon, where this pool is included, using data from in situ sampling or conservative root:shoot ratios (i.e., use smaller ratios to mitigate uncertainty).
Measure and monitor changes in soil carbon when claiming removals in soils, using the criteria listed in the Soil carbon section.
Use ground inventories to validate remotely sensed measurements of above-ground biomass changes.
Quantify any GHG fluxes associated with site preparation, including removal of existing vegetation or long-distance transportation of seeds and seedlings. If GHG fluxes are determined to be insignificant, provide a justification.
Project developers should
Use site-specific data, including but not limited to data collected by the project developer, to better parametrize models used to estimate biomass changes (such as species-specific allometries and wood density measurements).
Ensure that projects are sited on lands where the net impact on soil carbon is expected to be positive (e.g., degraded lands), unless soil carbon is directly measured.
Include an LCA of harvested agroforestry and plantation products if the project includes wood products or agricultural commodities in their carbon accounting.
Quantify applicable and appreciable indirect climate impacts and include them in project carbon accounting. For example, projects sited in high altitude or high latitude areas should include estimated changes in albedo due to establishment of tree cover in the project’s carbon accounting.
Publish or share monitoring data sets whenever possible, especially when working in poorly known ecosystems or where quality information is lacking.
Forestation and revegetation
Durability
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Actively mitigate identified risks throughout the project duration (e.g., forest thinning in fire-prone areas).
Select species adapted to future climate conditions and use planting patterns that foster resistance to disturbance, where appropriate.
Implement seedling planting and monitoring plans to maximize the probability of tree survival during the critical three- to five-year establishment period, factoring in physical infrastructure and human capacity needs.
Implement a long-term plan to reduce avoidable reversal risks and ensure that carbon stocks are maintained for the duration of the crediting period.
Project developers should
Use the best available information to forecast future risks of disturbance to planted forests and situate projects in areas of lower risk. Salient disturbance risks include, but are not limited to, direct and indirect impacts of climate change, drought, fire, pests and diseases, financial insolvency of the project operator, land theft, timber theft, and social disturbances.
Use resilient plant material with appropriate genetic variability and provenance.
Incorporate harvested timber or biomass into long-lived wood products, either traditional (e.g., lumber, oriented strand board) or emerging (e.g., biochar, cross-laminated timber).
Encourage additional productive uses of land such as sustainable wood production, sustainable harvest of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism to ensure that forests are protected and maintained over time.
Leverage early-warning systems to detect and respond to reversals, particularly wildfire.
Pilot new methods in small areas and use monitoring results to inform scaling when interventions are first-of-a-kind locally.
Leverage existing legal or policy instruments (e.g., conservation easements, protected area designation) to secure the durability of the carbon stocks beyond the crediting period.
Durability
Durability
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Actively mitigate identified risks throughout the project duration (e.g., forest thinning in fire-prone areas).
Select species adapted to future climate conditions and use planting patterns that foster resistance to disturbance, where appropriate.
Implement seedling planting and monitoring plans to maximize the probability of tree survival during the critical three- to five-year establishment period, factoring in physical infrastructure and human capacity needs.
Implement a long-term plan to reduce avoidable reversal risks and ensure that carbon stocks are maintained for the duration of the crediting period.
Project developers should
Use the best available information to forecast future risks of disturbance to planted forests and situate projects in areas of lower risk. Salient disturbance risks include, but are not limited to, direct and indirect impacts of climate change, drought, fire, pests and diseases, financial insolvency of the project operator, land theft, timber theft, and social disturbances.
Use resilient plant material with appropriate genetic variability and provenance.
Incorporate harvested timber or biomass into long-lived wood products, either traditional (e.g., lumber, oriented strand board) or emerging (e.g., biochar, cross-laminated timber).
Encourage additional productive uses of land such as sustainable wood production, sustainable harvest of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism to ensure that forests are protected and maintained over time.
Leverage early-warning systems to detect and respond to reversals, particularly wildfire.
Pilot new methods in small areas and use monitoring results to inform scaling when interventions are first-of-a-kind locally.
Leverage existing legal or policy instruments (e.g., conservation easements, protected area designation) to secure the durability of the carbon stocks beyond the crediting period.
Durability
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Actively mitigate identified risks throughout the project duration (e.g., forest thinning in fire-prone areas).
Select species adapted to future climate conditions and use planting patterns that foster resistance to disturbance, where appropriate.
Implement seedling planting and monitoring plans to maximize the probability of tree survival during the critical three- to five-year establishment period, factoring in physical infrastructure and human capacity needs.
Implement a long-term plan to reduce avoidable reversal risks and ensure that carbon stocks are maintained for the duration of the crediting period.
Project developers should
Use the best available information to forecast future risks of disturbance to planted forests and situate projects in areas of lower risk. Salient disturbance risks include, but are not limited to, direct and indirect impacts of climate change, drought, fire, pests and diseases, financial insolvency of the project operator, land theft, timber theft, and social disturbances.
Use resilient plant material with appropriate genetic variability and provenance.
Incorporate harvested timber or biomass into long-lived wood products, either traditional (e.g., lumber, oriented strand board) or emerging (e.g., biochar, cross-laminated timber).
Encourage additional productive uses of land such as sustainable wood production, sustainable harvest of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism to ensure that forests are protected and maintained over time.
Leverage early-warning systems to detect and respond to reversals, particularly wildfire.
Pilot new methods in small areas and use monitoring results to inform scaling when interventions are first-of-a-kind locally.
Leverage existing legal or policy instruments (e.g., conservation easements, protected area designation) to secure the durability of the carbon stocks beyond the crediting period.
Durability
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Actively mitigate identified risks throughout the project duration (e.g., forest thinning in fire-prone areas).
Select species adapted to future climate conditions and use planting patterns that foster resistance to disturbance, where appropriate.
Implement seedling planting and monitoring plans to maximize the probability of tree survival during the critical three- to five-year establishment period, factoring in physical infrastructure and human capacity needs.
Implement a long-term plan to reduce avoidable reversal risks and ensure that carbon stocks are maintained for the duration of the crediting period.
Project developers should
Use the best available information to forecast future risks of disturbance to planted forests and situate projects in areas of lower risk. Salient disturbance risks include, but are not limited to, direct and indirect impacts of climate change, drought, fire, pests and diseases, financial insolvency of the project operator, land theft, timber theft, and social disturbances.
Use resilient plant material with appropriate genetic variability and provenance.
Incorporate harvested timber or biomass into long-lived wood products, either traditional (e.g., lumber, oriented strand board) or emerging (e.g., biochar, cross-laminated timber).
Encourage additional productive uses of land such as sustainable wood production, sustainable harvest of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism to ensure that forests are protected and maintained over time.
Leverage early-warning systems to detect and respond to reversals, particularly wildfire.
Pilot new methods in small areas and use monitoring results to inform scaling when interventions are first-of-a-kind locally.
Leverage existing legal or policy instruments (e.g., conservation easements, protected area designation) to secure the durability of the carbon stocks beyond the crediting period.
Forestation and revegetation
Leakage
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
When claiming low leakage rates, provide evidence that project lands are degraded, that project lands have low economic value, or that project activities do not significantly displace existing land uses. The evidence must show that one of the following two scenarios is true.
There has been minimal agricultural land cover over the preceding decade, the project is not sited in an area of active land cover change, and the lands are predicted to have a low likelihood of future agricultural use.
Tree planting is integrated into ongoing agricultural practices through sustainable agroforestry systems that can support or enhance existing yields.
Project developers should
Use remotely sensed land-use data to determine leakage estimates, especially when coupled with land-use change models.
Establish contractual agreements and/or implement project-specific activities that prevent leakage.
Document positive leakage in project documents when the proposed activities are expected to result in additional carbon benefits beyond the project boundaries (e.g., project woodlots reduce fuelwood collection in existing forests), and provide supporting evidence even if the methodology does not require it.
Leakage
Leakage
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
When claiming low leakage rates, provide evidence that project lands are degraded, that project lands have low economic value, or that project activities do not significantly displace existing land uses. The evidence must show that one of the following two scenarios is true.
There has been minimal agricultural land cover over the preceding decade, the project is not sited in an area of active land cover change, and the lands are predicted to have a low likelihood of future agricultural use.
Tree planting is integrated into ongoing agricultural practices through sustainable agroforestry systems that can support or enhance existing yields.
Project developers should
Use remotely sensed land-use data to determine leakage estimates, especially when coupled with land-use change models.
Establish contractual agreements and/or implement project-specific activities that prevent leakage.
Document positive leakage in project documents when the proposed activities are expected to result in additional carbon benefits beyond the project boundaries (e.g., project woodlots reduce fuelwood collection in existing forests), and provide supporting evidence even if the methodology does not require it.
Leakage
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
When claiming low leakage rates, provide evidence that project lands are degraded, that project lands have low economic value, or that project activities do not significantly displace existing land uses. The evidence must show that one of the following two scenarios is true.
There has been minimal agricultural land cover over the preceding decade, the project is not sited in an area of active land cover change, and the lands are predicted to have a low likelihood of future agricultural use.
Tree planting is integrated into ongoing agricultural practices through sustainable agroforestry systems that can support or enhance existing yields.
Project developers should
Use remotely sensed land-use data to determine leakage estimates, especially when coupled with land-use change models.
Establish contractual agreements and/or implement project-specific activities that prevent leakage.
Document positive leakage in project documents when the proposed activities are expected to result in additional carbon benefits beyond the project boundaries (e.g., project woodlots reduce fuelwood collection in existing forests), and provide supporting evidence even if the methodology does not require it.
Leakage
Forestation and revegetation
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
When claiming low leakage rates, provide evidence that project lands are degraded, that project lands have low economic value, or that project activities do not significantly displace existing land uses. The evidence must show that one of the following two scenarios is true.
There has been minimal agricultural land cover over the preceding decade, the project is not sited in an area of active land cover change, and the lands are predicted to have a low likelihood of future agricultural use.
Tree planting is integrated into ongoing agricultural practices through sustainable agroforestry systems that can support or enhance existing yields.
Project developers should
Use remotely sensed land-use data to determine leakage estimates, especially when coupled with land-use change models.
Establish contractual agreements and/or implement project-specific activities that prevent leakage.
Document positive leakage in project documents when the proposed activities are expected to result in additional carbon benefits beyond the project boundaries (e.g., project woodlots reduce fuelwood collection in existing forests), and provide supporting evidence even if the methodology does not require it.
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