Sectoral Scope

14. Agriculture, Forestry, Land Use

Mitigation
Outcome Label
Eligibility

Ineligible Pending Methodology Update

Status

Approved 18 December 2023

This methodology estimates greenhouse gas emissions from areas where unplanned deforestation occurs and quantifies the emission reductions achieved by curbing deforestation. The methodology provides a comprehensive set of tools for analyzing both frontier and mosaic deforestation patterns to establish the baseline deforestation rate, monitor emission reductions, and assess leakage.

Please note: 
  • New projects and projects that did not initiate the public comment period (i.e., that did not request pipeline listing under validation) before December 19, 2023, have until March 19, 2024, to do so using the previous methodology versions.
  • Project proponents that have initiated or will initiate a public comment period before March 19, 2024, have until March 19, 2025, to complete validation with previous versions of the methodologies. If they complete validation by then, projects may continue to use these methodologies until they have to transition to the new REDD methodology or until their next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.
  • Projects validated with previous versions may continue to use these methodologies until they have to transition to the next methodology or until their next baseline reassessment or crediting period renewal, whichever is the earliest.

Development History

VM0015 Methodology for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation, v1.2 (PDF)

Status: Active since 18 December 2023
Mitigation Outcome Label Eligibility: Ineligible pending methodology update
Summary of Changes:
  • Incorporated the December 13, 2014, erratum regarding the omission of
  • error propagation
  • Incorporated the November 3, 2017, clarification regarding
  • post-deforestation carbon stock increase
  • Excluded accounting for carbon stock enhancement
  • Added a requirement to determine the most plausible baseline scenario
  • Added a stepwise process for testing greenhouse gas emissions significance
  • Excluded the modeling approach to project future deforestation
  • Updated requirements to delineate the reference region
  • Updated document references and made minor editorial corrections
Developer: Verra
Dates of Public Consultation: N/A
Summary of Public Consultation: N/A
VVB Assessment Report: N/A

VM0015 Methodology for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation, v1.1 (PDF)

Status: Active since 03 December 2012
Summary of Changes:

The methodology was revised to account for the decay of carbon from the below-ground biomass, dead wood, soil carbon and medium-term harvested wood product pools. Revisions were made to section 6.1.2 and Appendix 3. Additional revisions have also been incorporated into the methodology. Specifically, litter is included as an optional pool, sampling techniques are provided as an option for developing land-use/land cover maps, the steps to analyze deforestation constraints is removed, and a process to project future land-use/land cover with zones is provided. The following minor updates have also been incorporated into the methodology:

  • The word “guidelines” when referring to Jurisdictional and Nested REDD was changed to “requirements”.
  • Equations 6.a, 6.b and 6.c were corrected to avoid negative areas.
  • Equations 7.b and 12.c were corrected (“e” is the Euler Number).
  • The minimum threshold requirements for the Figure of Merit (FOM) were changed and made consistent with the corresponding module of VM0007.
  • The definition of the minimum mapping unit was updated to be consistent with the definition found in the VCS JNR Requirements.
  • An error was corrected in equation A3-17 (the factor 44/12 to convert tons of C to tons of CO2-e was missing).

Developer: Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, World Bank BioCarbon Fund, Carbon Decisions International, Institute for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of Amazonas
Dates of Public Consultation: N/A
Summary of Public Consultation: N/A
VVB Assessment Report: VM0015, v1.1 Methodology Review Report (PDF)
Errata and Clarifications: VM0015, v1.1 Errata and Clarifications (PDF)

VM0015 Methodology for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation, v1.0 (PDF)

Status: Active 12 June 2011 to 02 December 2012
Developer: Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, World Bank BioCarbon Fund
Dates of Public Consultation: 14 July 2009 to 13 August 2009
Summary of Public Consultation: Comment 1 (PDF), Comment 2 (PDF)
The following drafts were posted during the development:

  • Methodology posted for public comment
  • Revised methodology for second assessment

VVB Assessment Report: VM0015, v1.0 First Assessment Report (PDF), VM0015, v1.0 Second Assessment Report (PDF)

Tools