Study shows choice matters in forestry carbon standards
New opportunities for credit buyers to purchase with integrityA study of four leading forestry project standards from the voluntary carbon market reveals significant differences in approach, making the choice of which standard to use vital for both project developers and future credit buyers.
Forestry Carbon Standards, 2008, by researcher Eduard Merger from Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs University and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, is a practical examination of four leading third-party verification standards to give forest-carbon project developers a detailed comparative picture of their options for the verification of their carbon, socio-economic and environmental cobenefits.
The study, published online by Carbon Positive, considers the Voluntary Carbon Standard’s AFOLU program, the CarbonFix Standard, the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards and the Plan Vivo System and Standards, the first two of which only emerged in 2007.
The standards cover a range of afforestation and reforestation (A/R) activities, including sustainable harvesting, agro-forestry and pure conservation planting projects. Aimed at both project developers and carbon credit buyers, the report updates an earlier version looking at the same four standards.
The report shows that the four standards have differing treatments of key issues around the generation of forest carbon credits and their verification. It considers in detail additionality, permanence, carbon accounting, certification, the social and environmental co-benefits of forestry project and the costs of becoming certified under each standard.
“So far, understanding of the standards among project developers is lacking. And it’s a similar story for carbon buyers, who are not yet well informed about the opportunities the voluntary carbon market now offers in forestry credits,” Merger said.
The results offer a guide to project developers as to which of the standards best suits their projects or business model. The report also provides valuable information to companies and other organisations planning to purchase forestry-based carbon credits.
Merger states that these robust third-party standards help forestry project developers to better access the financial potential of the voluntary carbon market. The survey, of 71 project developers representing more than 260 forestry projects, gives an insight into the current state of play in the sector.
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Choose forest carbon standard carefully: StudyContact the author:
Eduard Merger
Skype: eduard.merger
eduard.merger@googlemail.com