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

Chapter 2: VCM project types and standards
Before a project is started, consider the following:
1. What are the possible activities that can be undertaken in a
particular location? What are the benefits and drawbacks of
each of the options?
2. Does it make sense to pursue certification of the potential
project? If so,
3. Which standard would be the right way forward?
2.1 Introducing the types of forestry VCM
project
For each of the three main types of climate change mitigation activity
through the forest sector, outlined at the end of Chapter 1, there is a
recognized category of project under the VCM.
The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), which will be introduced in more
detail in section 2.4, defines these categories as follows:
1. ARR – Afforestation, Reforestation and Re-vegetation;
2. IFM – Improved Forest Management; and
3. REDD – Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest
Degradation.
The VCS has more categories, but these Guidelines concentrate on
forestry options and will therefore not discuss the other categories (e.g.
agriculture and peatlands/wetlands) in much detail, though they can
involve trees and forests.
For each community, and even for each individual, the development
goals driving the choice of forestry activity may be different, including
poverty alleviation, biodiversity protection, or the creation and
retention of environmental services, or a combination of any of these.
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