Presented by Basanta Gautam (Verra) at "Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB58) side event: High-integrity forest carbon markets: from global stock-taking to advancing science" on 8 Jun 2023

1. 1
Basanta Gautam
Manager, REDD+ Technical Innovation
Email: bgautam@verra.org
Website: www.verra.org
Verra’s Consolidated REDD methodology for
high-integrity forest carbon projects

2. 2
Content
1) About Verra
2) Overview of Verra’s REDD methodologies
3) Consolidated REDD methodology
– Main features
– Accounting approach
4) Opportunities and challenges
5) Key resources

3. 3
Verra
• Driving large-scale investment toward high-impact activities that tackle the most pressing
environmental and social issues of our day

4. 4
Overview of Verra’s REDD work
Existing REDD
methodologies
Consolidated
REDD
methodology
Standalone projects Jurisdictional programs and
nested projects

5. 5
Consolidated REDD methodology
Ensuring the integrity of GHG accounting for individual projects within a jurisdiction
and enabling the utilization of the most up-to-date science, data, and technologies

6. 6
Main features of the consolidated REDD methodology
▪ Jurisdictional-level baseline activity data (led by Verra) for high-integrity
forest carbon projects
▪ Alignment of project accounting (and safeguard systems) at the
jurisdictional level, in keeping with UNFCCC REDD, Paris Agreement, and
nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
▪ Shorter historical reference period (6 years)
▪ Deforestation risk-based allocation at the jurisdictional level
▪ Use of crowdsourced data/information
▪ Jurisdictions/governments engagement & collaborations with other
REDD+ initiatives/standards/institutions

7. 7
Accounting approach of the consolidated REDD
methodology
Establish
jurisdictional
baseline activity
data
•Satellite imagery
(min 10-30m)
•Forest cover
benchmark map
•Sample-based area
estimation
Establish a
jurisdictional
deforestation risk
map
•f(distance to forest
edge)
Allocate activity
data per risk class
to VCS REDD
projects
Develop baseline,
implement
project, monitor
•Apply project-
specific emission
factors to allocated
activity data
Independent
technical
assessment
VVB
assessment
Step done by Verra
Step done by
independent third party
Step done by project
proponent
Crowdsourced
inputs

8. 8
Opportunities and challenges
▪ Opportunities
– Jurisdictions/governments engagement
– Collaborations with different jurisdictional REDD+ initiatives/standards
– Minimizing leakage risk at jurisdictional-level
▪ Challenges
– Reaching out to governments in REDD+ countries
– Alignment of datasets/results with national FRELs
– Understanding that achieving Verra’s market-quality FREL/AD
requirements may take time

9. 9
Key Verra REDD+ resources
Drafts
Draft Methodology for
Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest
Degradation
Draft Module for
Estimation of Emissions
Reductions from Avoiding
Unplanned Deforestation
Invitations to
contribute
RFP for Development of
Jurisdictional Activity Data
and Forest Cover
Benchmark Maps
Submission of
supplemental materials
from stakeholders
Subject to
change
before
public-
ation
Project transition timeline
Jurisdictional and
Nested REDD+
Framework
REDD methodology JNR Framework

10. 10
Thank You
One Thomas Circle NW
Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20005
www.verra.org