Transition Process by Project Status

All current Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation projects are required to transition to the new methodology. The exact timing of this transition will depend on (1) the current status of the project and (2) the availability of activity data for the jurisdiction in which a project is located.

Proponents are required to adopt VM0048 and VMD0055 at the next validation or verification after jurisdictional activity data for the respective region has been available for six months.

• If validation and/or verification have been initiated when the six-month period elapses, certification may proceed with any previous AUD methodology (VM0006, VM0007, and VM0015) as long as project proponents can complete validation of this project within one year of the start of the public comment period.
• Validation and combined validation and verification are initiated when a project is listed under validation; verification initiation is demonstrated by proof of VVB contracting and a complete draft monitoring report.

A project’s transition to VMD0055 will establish a new baseline. See Section 3.5.1 of the module for more information.

Proponents requesting pipeline listing with the status “under development” or “under validation” after jurisdictional activity data for the respective region has been available for six months must use the new REDD methodology. (This includes projects that were already listed as “under development” but for which project proponents requested a status change to “under validation” at this point.)

Projects that are listed with the status “under validation” before jurisdictional activity data for the respective region has been available for six months may proceed with validation using any previous AUD methodology (VM0006, VM0007, and VM0015) only if project proponents can complete validation of this project within one year of the start of the public comment period. Such projects will be allowed to verify using their registered baseline if project proponents can complete verification for this project before December 31, 2025.

A project’s transition to VMD0055 will establish a new baseline. See Section 3.5.1 of the module for more information.

Proponents initiating the project development process after November 27, 2023, and where projects are not yet, in any form, listed on the Verra Registry, must use the new REDD methodology after jurisdictional activity data for the respective region has been available to be allocated for six months. Until then, these projects are allowed to use VM0006, VM0007, or VM0015.