Community guidelines for accessing forestry voluntary carbon ... - FAO

Community guidelines for accessing forestry voluntary carbon markets
What is a forestry VCM project?
In order to be considered for the VCM, a forestry project must set
itself aside from ‘traditional’ forestry initiatives. Negotiators under the
UNFCCC process agreed on a number of requirements, as set out below,
which are also used by the voluntary markets. More detail is provided
where necessary in later sections.
Additionality
Simply ‘repackaging’ a normal forestry initiative is, therefore, not good
enough. A forestry VCM project is considered additional if it meets the
following requirements:
1. The activity does not take place on land that was covered by a
natural ecosystem in the ten years preceding the start of the
project;
2. It cannot be the only option. There must be plausible, credible
alternative land-use scenarios that could happen on the land
in question. If there are none, and the forestry activity planned
under the project is the only plausible, credible land use, the
project is not additional;
3. An investment analysis must demonstrate that without the
income from carbon credits, one or more of the alternative
land-use scenarios would be more economically viable; or,
4. Non-financial barriers (e.g. technical, institutional or
governance barriers) need to be identified that would prevent
the implementation of project activities without the benefits
provided through the forestry VCM.
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