Objective: Our primary goal with this evaluation protocol is to thoroughly assess projects for their eligibility to apply for carbon credits within the voluntary market. This protocol serves as a robust framework to ensure that each project aligns seamlessly with the vital criteria and standards necessary for impactful emission reduction and carbon offsetting.
1. Project Overview and Alignment:
Provide a comprehensive description of the project's objectives, activities, and scope. Verify that the project fully complies with globally recognized standards such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard, or other credible benchmarks.
2. Emission Reduction Potential:
Evaluate the projected potential of the project in terms of emission reductions within a specified timeframe. Analyse the anticipated influence of the project on the substantial reduction or elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Additionality and Baseline Assessment:
Scrutinize the project's additionality, ensuring that the emission reductions achieved exceed what would have occurred naturally. Construct a dependable baseline scenario that accurately represents emissions without the project's intervention.
4. Quantification and Monitoring:
Define an airtight methodology for accurately quantifying emission reductions and the sequestration of carbon. Outline a meticulous monitoring plan to effectively track the progress and outcomes of the project's initiatives.
5. Social and Environmental Co-Benefits:
Carefully evaluate the potential positive consequences of the project on local communities, biodiversity, and overall ecosystem health. Consider the project's capability to contribute to broader sustainable development objectives.
6. Permanence and Leakage Mitigation:
Devise strategic measures to counteract the risk of emissions rebounding or "leaking" to other regions due to project activities. Implement comprehensive strategies to ensure the enduring permanence of emission reductions over the long term.
7. Stakeholder Engagement:
Identify key stakeholders and actively engage with local communities, indigenous groups, and other relevant entities. Address concerns, gather valuable feedback, and seamlessly integrate indigenous knowledge into the core project design.
8. Project Verification and Certification:
Establish a crystal-clear plan for third-party verification and the certification of the project's emission reductions. Delve into the comprehensive process of validating the project's adherence to the chosen carbon credit standard.
9. Financial Viability:
Rigorously assess the project's financial viability and its capacity for long-term sustainability. Guarantee that proceeds generated from carbon credit sales will genuinely support the project's ongoing activities and further emissions reduction efforts.
10. Market and Demand Analysis:
Conduct a meticulous analysis of the demand for carbon credits within the voluntary market and discern potential preferences of prospective buyers. Assure that the project's attributes align seamlessly with the current market demand.
11. Communication and Transparency:
Strategically outline a comprehensive communication strategy to facilitate the transparent dissemination of project information to stakeholders and potential investors. Establish a robust framework for precise and transparent reporting on project activities, emissions reductions, and carbon credit transactions.
12. Ethical and Social Considerations:
Conduct a thorough assessment of the ethical implications of the project on local communities, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights. Prioritize the project's alignment with and support of local values and rights.
The Gaia Carbon Credits' Project Suitability Evaluation Protocol offers a meticulous methodology to assess the appropriateness of a project for the application of carbon credits in the voluntary market. Through a comprehensive evaluation of multiple project facets, this protocol ensures that only projects boasting potent emission reduction potential, remarkable social advantages, and unwavering environmental integrity are eligible for certification and participation within the carbon credit market
“Food is connected to all of what we do and who we are as tribal people, and education is key to changing the trajectory of the tribe’s trauma”.
“We’re on the verge of true co-management of our aboriginal homeland. That’s huge,”
