The Voluntary Carbon Market Standards
Within the VCM there are at least 16 standards currently under use or consideration (Peters-Stanley et. al, 2011). Of the many standards, Carbon Tanzania has chosen to become certified with Plan Vivo, a standard that promotes community-led initiatives and prioritizes rural livelihoods. These third-party standards help to ensure that carbon offset projects are real, additional and permanent.
Typically, standards ensure that the following offset criteria are met:
Additionality – In order for an offset to be additional, it must be generated by a project or action that would not have happened without the incentives provided by the offset market.
Methodology – In order for an offset to be real, its carbon benefits must be quantified using an approved measurement methodology.
Third-party audited – Third-party validation and verification help to ensure that offset measurements are real, accurate and represent the offset developer’s intentions.
Permanence – Permanence ensures that generated offsets will have long-lasting, or permanent, impacts.
Leakage – Leakage refers to GHG emissions that are displaced rather than reduced. Offset developers and producers must therefore account for leakage resulting from the project.
For more information on carbon market standards see: Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market: A Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards, WWF
To learn more about forestry carbon standards, see: Forest Carbon Offsetting Survey, EcoSecurities
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