Nature-based
Improved forest management
Improved forest management (IFM) changes the management of existing forested landscapes to increase carbon storage. IFM includes a broad range of practices that increase carbon stocks in forests and forest products, such as deferred timber harvest, reduced impact logging, and other silvicultural adjustments. IFM project design is rapidly evolving as registries release new dynamic baseline methodologies, but general uncertainty remains concerning additionality and market leakage. These uncertainties make accurate quantification of CDR from IFM projects challenging, resulting in a tendency for project developers to overestimate carbon benefits. Exemplary IFM projects use the most up-to-date methods and accurate data to conservatively estimate carbon sequestration.
Nature-based
Improved forest management
Improved forest management (IFM) changes the management of existing forested landscapes to increase carbon storage. IFM includes a broad range of practices that increase carbon stocks in forests and forest products, such as deferred timber harvest, reduced impact logging, and other silvicultural adjustments. IFM project design is rapidly evolving as registries release new dynamic baseline methodologies, but general uncertainty remains concerning additionality and market leakage. These uncertainties make accurate quantification of CDR from IFM projects challenging, resulting in a tendency for project developers to overestimate carbon benefits. Exemplary IFM projects use the most up-to-date methods and accurate data to conservatively estimate carbon sequestration.
Nature-based
Improved forest management
Improved forest management (IFM) changes the management of existing forested landscapes to increase carbon storage. IFM includes a broad range of practices that increase carbon stocks in forests and forest products, such as deferred timber harvest, reduced impact logging, and other silvicultural adjustments. IFM project design is rapidly evolving as registries release new dynamic baseline methodologies, but general uncertainty remains concerning additionality and market leakage. These uncertainties make accurate quantification of CDR from IFM projects challenging, resulting in a tendency for project developers to overestimate carbon benefits. Exemplary IFM projects use the most up-to-date methods and accurate data to conservatively estimate carbon sequestration.
Improved forest management
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
Ensure that the project minimizes major risks to the health and safety of workers, especially risks present in forest management operations.
Ensure that any project benefits resulting from a third-party transfer of carbon rights are equitably shared among members of the community. Actively include land stakeholders in project planning, execution, and operation when projects occur on public lands, communally owned lands, or lands with customary tenure.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements with participating land owners, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenues the communities will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly impact local communities.
Project developers should
Design the project so that it supports local and regional industry, livelihoods, culture, and sustainable forestry practices over the long term.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for land owners to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that the project minimizes major risks to the health and safety of workers, especially risks present in forest management operations.
Ensure that any project benefits resulting from a third-party transfer of carbon rights are equitably shared among members of the community. Actively include land stakeholders in project planning, execution, and operation when projects occur on public lands, communally owned lands, or lands with customary tenure.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements with participating land owners, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenues the communities will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly impact local communities.
Project developers should
Design the project so that it supports local and regional industry, livelihoods, culture, and sustainable forestry practices over the long term.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for land owners to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that the project minimizes major risks to the health and safety of workers, especially risks present in forest management operations.
Ensure that any project benefits resulting from a third-party transfer of carbon rights are equitably shared among members of the community. Actively include land stakeholders in project planning, execution, and operation when projects occur on public lands, communally owned lands, or lands with customary tenure.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements with participating land owners, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenues the communities will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly impact local communities.
Project developers should
Design the project so that it supports local and regional industry, livelihoods, culture, and sustainable forestry practices over the long term.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for land owners to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Ensure that the project minimizes major risks to the health and safety of workers, especially risks present in forest management operations.
Ensure that any project benefits resulting from a third-party transfer of carbon rights are equitably shared among members of the community. Actively include land stakeholders in project planning, execution, and operation when projects occur on public lands, communally owned lands, or lands with customary tenure.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements with participating land owners, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenues the communities will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly impact local communities.
Project developers should
Design the project so that it supports local and regional industry, livelihoods, culture, and sustainable forestry practices over the long term.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for land owners to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Improved forest management
Environmental harms and benefits
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Transparently document any use of toxic and/or persistent environmental pollutants, including agrochemicals used for suppression of unwanted vegetation, and the risk of releasing these pollutants into the environment.
Implement forest management practices that are appropriate to the local forest ecosystem and maintain or increase biodiversity.
Enroll properties with third-party certification bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or the American Tree Farm System.
Project developers should
Implement forest management practices that enhance habitat for regionally threatened or endangered species or species that are in decline and improve ecosystem connectivity, where possible.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly harm local ecosystems.
Environmental harms and benefits
Environmental harms and benefits
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Transparently document any use of toxic and/or persistent environmental pollutants, including agrochemicals used for suppression of unwanted vegetation, and the risk of releasing these pollutants into the environment.
Implement forest management practices that are appropriate to the local forest ecosystem and maintain or increase biodiversity.
Enroll properties with third-party certification bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or the American Tree Farm System.
Project developers should
Implement forest management practices that enhance habitat for regionally threatened or endangered species or species that are in decline and improve ecosystem connectivity, where possible.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly harm local ecosystems.
Environmental harms and benefits
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Transparently document any use of toxic and/or persistent environmental pollutants, including agrochemicals used for suppression of unwanted vegetation, and the risk of releasing these pollutants into the environment.
Implement forest management practices that are appropriate to the local forest ecosystem and maintain or increase biodiversity.
Enroll properties with third-party certification bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or the American Tree Farm System.
Project developers should
Implement forest management practices that enhance habitat for regionally threatened or endangered species or species that are in decline and improve ecosystem connectivity, where possible.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly harm local ecosystems.
Environmental harms and benefits
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Transparently document any use of toxic and/or persistent environmental pollutants, including agrochemicals used for suppression of unwanted vegetation, and the risk of releasing these pollutants into the environment.
Implement forest management practices that are appropriate to the local forest ecosystem and maintain or increase biodiversity.
Enroll properties with third-party certification bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or the American Tree Farm System.
Project developers should
Implement forest management practices that enhance habitat for regionally threatened or endangered species or species that are in decline and improve ecosystem connectivity, where possible.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly harm local ecosystems.
Improved forest management
Additionality and baselines
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement conservative baselines as defined by the following two criteria.
Baselines must reflect initial standing carbon stocks and historical forest management practices unless a regional assessment is more appropriate, in which case the baseline must reflect typical forest management practices on similar land ownerships in the region.
Baselines must account for recent or projected changes in forest product demand. For example, projects located in regions with decreasing harvesting trends, such as those due to closed mills, can be expected to have increasing baseline stocks.
Use a methodology that generates credits using a dynamic baseline when (a) regional forest inventory or remote sensing data have low biomass uncertainty, (b) reference areas with similar management history are available and identifiable, and (c) a suitable dynamic baseline methodology exists for the project jurisdiction.
For projects with multiple revenue streams, such as timber harvest or conservation investments, demonstrate that IFM activities are unequivocally a result of carbon finance by documenting inputs to financial models (e.g., those used to calculate net present value).
Additionality and baselines
Additionality and baselines
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement conservative baselines as defined by the following two criteria.
Baselines must reflect initial standing carbon stocks and historical forest management practices unless a regional assessment is more appropriate, in which case the baseline must reflect typical forest management practices on similar land ownerships in the region.
Baselines must account for recent or projected changes in forest product demand. For example, projects located in regions with decreasing harvesting trends, such as those due to closed mills, can be expected to have increasing baseline stocks.
Use a methodology that generates credits using a dynamic baseline when (a) regional forest inventory or remote sensing data have low biomass uncertainty, (b) reference areas with similar management history are available and identifiable, and (c) a suitable dynamic baseline methodology exists for the project jurisdiction.
For projects with multiple revenue streams, such as timber harvest or conservation investments, demonstrate that IFM activities are unequivocally a result of carbon finance by documenting inputs to financial models (e.g., those used to calculate net present value).
Additionality and baselines
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement conservative baselines as defined by the following two criteria.
Baselines must reflect initial standing carbon stocks and historical forest management practices unless a regional assessment is more appropriate, in which case the baseline must reflect typical forest management practices on similar land ownerships in the region.
Baselines must account for recent or projected changes in forest product demand. For example, projects located in regions with decreasing harvesting trends, such as those due to closed mills, can be expected to have increasing baseline stocks.
Use a methodology that generates credits using a dynamic baseline when (a) regional forest inventory or remote sensing data have low biomass uncertainty, (b) reference areas with similar management history are available and identifiable, and (c) a suitable dynamic baseline methodology exists for the project jurisdiction.
For projects with multiple revenue streams, such as timber harvest or conservation investments, demonstrate that IFM activities are unequivocally a result of carbon finance by documenting inputs to financial models (e.g., those used to calculate net present value).
Additionality and baselines
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement conservative baselines as defined by the following two criteria.
Baselines must reflect initial standing carbon stocks and historical forest management practices unless a regional assessment is more appropriate, in which case the baseline must reflect typical forest management practices on similar land ownerships in the region.
Baselines must account for recent or projected changes in forest product demand. For example, projects located in regions with decreasing harvesting trends, such as those due to closed mills, can be expected to have increasing baseline stocks.
Use a methodology that generates credits using a dynamic baseline when (a) regional forest inventory or remote sensing data have low biomass uncertainty, (b) reference areas with similar management history are available and identifiable, and (c) a suitable dynamic baseline methodology exists for the project jurisdiction.
For projects with multiple revenue streams, such as timber harvest or conservation investments, demonstrate that IFM activities are unequivocally a result of carbon finance by documenting inputs to financial models (e.g., those used to calculate net present value).
Improved forest management
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
Ensure that the project minimizes major risks to the health and safety of workers, especially risks present in forest management operations.
Ensure that any project benefits resulting from a third-party transfer of carbon rights are equitably shared among members of the community. Actively include land stakeholders in project planning, execution, and operation when projects occur on public lands, communally owned lands, or lands with customary tenure.
Codevelop benefit-sharing arrangements with participating land owners, including negotiating terms before carbon credits are sold, transparently disclosing what portion of revenues the communities will receive, and indicating how funds are apportioned.
Avoid increasing the risk of natural disturbances that may directly or indirectly impact local communities.
Project developers should
Design the project so that it supports local and regional industry, livelihoods, culture, and sustainable forestry practices over the long term.
Provide a fair and transparent mechanism for land owners to opt out of or terminate lease agreements when they no longer wish to participate.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available forest measurement tools to measure and verify changes in carbon storage.
Use statistically representative field inventories and/or remote sensing. If remote sensing models are used, calibrate and validate remote sensing models with ground-truth measurements. Continuously improve model performance over time as better data sources and modeling techniques become available.
Utilize allometry based on published regional- and species-specific data.
Include reporting only on carbon pools with increased storage, where data and measurements can be well substantiated (e.g., excluding increases in soil carbon when uncertainty is high).
Include reporting on all carbon pools where project activities result in decreased carbon storage (e.g., harvesting or site preparation for planting).
Project developers should
Include potential effects of climate change on tree growth and stand development when modeling ex ante credit estimates.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available forest measurement tools to measure and verify changes in carbon storage.
Use statistically representative field inventories and/or remote sensing. If remote sensing models are used, calibrate and validate remote sensing models with ground-truth measurements. Continuously improve model performance over time as better data sources and modeling techniques become available.
Utilize allometry based on published regional- and species-specific data.
Include reporting only on carbon pools with increased storage, where data and measurements can be well substantiated (e.g., excluding increases in soil carbon when uncertainty is high).
Include reporting on all carbon pools where project activities result in decreased carbon storage (e.g., harvesting or site preparation for planting).
Project developers should
Include potential effects of climate change on tree growth and stand development when modeling ex ante credit estimates.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available forest measurement tools to measure and verify changes in carbon storage.
Use statistically representative field inventories and/or remote sensing. If remote sensing models are used, calibrate and validate remote sensing models with ground-truth measurements. Continuously improve model performance over time as better data sources and modeling techniques become available.
Utilize allometry based on published regional- and species-specific data.
Include reporting only on carbon pools with increased storage, where data and measurements can be well substantiated (e.g., excluding increases in soil carbon when uncertainty is high).
Include reporting on all carbon pools where project activities result in decreased carbon storage (e.g., harvesting or site preparation for planting).
Project developers should
Include potential effects of climate change on tree growth and stand development when modeling ex ante credit estimates.
Improved forest management
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).
Project developers should
Improve forest health and reduce disturbance hazards (e.g., wildfire, insects, etc.) on project lands, including those associated with historical management practices, such as fire suppression and adverse species selection.
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).
Include potential effects of climate change on stand development and forest health when accounting for reversal risks.
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
Improved forest management
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).
Project developers should
Improve forest health and reduce disturbance hazards (e.g., wildfire, insects, etc.) on project lands, including those associated with historical management practices, such as fire suppression and adverse species selection.
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).
Include potential effects of climate change on stand development and forest health when accounting for reversal risks.
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
Improved forest management
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).
Project developers should
Improve forest health and reduce disturbance hazards (e.g., wildfire, insects, etc.) on project lands, including those associated with historical management practices, such as fire suppression and adverse species selection.
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).
Include potential effects of climate change on stand development and forest health when accounting for reversal risks.
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
Improved forest management
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).
Project developers should
Improve forest health and reduce disturbance hazards (e.g., wildfire, insects, etc.) on project lands, including those associated with historical management practices, such as fire suppression and adverse species selection.
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).
Include potential effects of climate change on stand development and forest health when accounting for reversal risks.
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.
Improved forest management
Leakage
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use conservative leakage deductions that are in line with regional scientific studies on leakage from IFM projects.
Establish contractual agreements or use certification schemes that prevent activity leakage.
Project developers should
Deduct market leakage at the same time that increased carbon stocks are credited, even if existing offset protocols do not require this standard.
Consider whether regional mills are running at capacity (e.g., due to high demand in wood product markets).
Determine the impact of non-participating lands in the region with the capacity to produce similar timber products.
Consider whether the wood products that would otherwise be produced on the project lands are highly substitutable.
Leakage
Leakage
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use conservative leakage deductions that are in line with regional scientific studies on leakage from IFM projects.
Establish contractual agreements or use certification schemes that prevent activity leakage.
Project developers should
Deduct market leakage at the same time that increased carbon stocks are credited, even if existing offset protocols do not require this standard.
Consider whether regional mills are running at capacity (e.g., due to high demand in wood product markets).
Determine the impact of non-participating lands in the region with the capacity to produce similar timber products.
Consider whether the wood products that would otherwise be produced on the project lands are highly substitutable.
Leakage
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use conservative leakage deductions that are in line with regional scientific studies on leakage from IFM projects.
Establish contractual agreements or use certification schemes that prevent activity leakage.
Project developers should
Deduct market leakage at the same time that increased carbon stocks are credited, even if existing offset protocols do not require this standard.
Consider whether regional mills are running at capacity (e.g., due to high demand in wood product markets).
Determine the impact of non-participating lands in the region with the capacity to produce similar timber products.
Consider whether the wood products that would otherwise be produced on the project lands are highly substitutable.
Leakage
Improved forest management
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use conservative leakage deductions that are in line with regional scientific studies on leakage from IFM projects.
Establish contractual agreements or use certification schemes that prevent activity leakage.
Project developers should
Deduct market leakage at the same time that increased carbon stocks are credited, even if existing offset protocols do not require this standard.
Consider whether regional mills are running at capacity (e.g., due to high demand in wood product markets).
Determine the impact of non-participating lands in the region with the capacity to produce similar timber products.
Consider whether the wood products that would otherwise be produced on the project lands are highly substitutable.
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