Dear Colleague,
We are kicking off the first newsletter of 2017 with some major milestones to share. Our flagship VCS Program has just yesterday passed the 200 million mark for VCU issuances, and we couldn’t be more proud. Those credits represent the hard work of project proponents working on the ground and VCS Staff helping to ensure adherence to the rules as well as thorough and transparent reporting. Our CCB Program is also entering 2017 with some exciting news. 2016 saw the highest number of verifications using the CCB Standards on record. We hope these milestones will set the tone for our work in 2017, especially as it seems that independent investments in combatting climate change will be more important than ever in the years to come.
Sincerely,
David Antonioli
CEO
Spotlight Story
The Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project, which has been validated to both VCS and CCB Standards, brings together nine local organizations working in Maasai territory to restore rangeland, protect habitat and support local livelihoods. By setting up strong internal coordination between various organizations and cooperatives working in the region, this project is able to effectively operate at the landscape scale while offering direct engagement with communities. Find out what else makes this project unique and why it’s a good example to watch on our blog.
Updates
Updated Project Database
Our newly updated VCS Project Database is now a one-stop-shop for all our crediting programs. The database now provides up-to-date project data and tracks credits for VCS, CCB and California Compliance projects. The new site features dynamic home pages and more ways to search for projects, including by ROC serial numbers. Explore the database.
VCS Program Reaches 200 Million VCUs Issued
We are excited to announce that as of this week, the VCS Program has issued more than 200 million VCUs. This means that since our founding, our projects have avoided, reduced and/or captured CO2eq emissions equivalent to taking 58 coal-fired power plants offline for a year, installing 50.5 thousand wind turbines, or growing about 5 billion tree seedlings for 10 years! Furthermore, of those 200 million carbon credits, over 60% have been retired as offsets.
Record CCB Standards Verifications in 2016
2016 was the biggest year for project verifications in CCB Standards history, with almost 20% of all currently active projects verifying. The year saw a mix of first-time and repeat verifications. For more on why so many projects verified in 2016, read the full post here.
DRC in the World Bank Carbon Fund
This past December, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was the first country in the world accepted into the FCPF Carbon Fund portfolio. The Mai-Ndombe Emission Reductions Program, Democratic Republic of Congo will protect 9.8 million ha of forest and support long-term sustainable development in the region. The Program’s submission to the fund has been supported with technical expertise from a range of actors, including Wildlife Works Carbon, a VCS project proponent already invested in the region thanks to their Mai-Ndombe ER Project, and the WWF – Congo Basin. As part of its participation in the fund, the Mai-Ndombe Program also aims to achieve validation and verification to VCS JNR. We congratulate the DRC on this significant achievement.
CCB Program Open for Public Comment
The REDD+ Project for Caribbean Guatemala: The Conservation Coast project protects forests and improves livelihoods in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. The project enrolls landowners in reforestation and agroforestry programs, generating local income. The project also supports women’s health and agency with family planning services. The Project Design Documents and Project Implementation Report are available for comment.
The Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia contains some of the largest intact blocks of forest habitat for key species such as the Asian elephant and yellow-cheeked crested gibbon. The project reduces emissions from avoided deforestation and has set up an ecotourism enterprise in the region. The Project Implementation Report and Gap Validation are available for comment.
ICAT Spotlight Series
ICAT’s draft guidance for assessing climate policy outcomes will be released this spring. In the lead up to the release of the full guidance, we’re offering snapshots into its development through a series of spotlight stories on the ICAT website. These updates let stakeholders get acquainted with the guidance and what to expect from its content. Read stories on our Agriculture Sector and Stakeholder Participation Guidance now, with more to come.