23 November 2010 – A new project methodology to sequester carbon by rehabilitating damaged tropical forest was approved for use under the VCS Program Tuesday, becoming the third new forest carbon approach to become available through the VCS.
The methodology, developed by Dutch carbon project developer Face the Future, will account for carbon captured through Improved Forest Management, specifically by implementing best practices in planting and thinning to maximize re-growth in severely damaged tropical forest.
Face the Future aims to use the methodology to generate VCS credits at the Infapro rainforest rehabilitation program in Malaysia, which it manages in partnership with the Sabah Foundation.
“Face the Future deserves credit for pioneering this work. It opens the way for carbon financing, not only for their Malaysia program, but for other damaged tropical forest areas as well,” said VCS CEO David Antonioli. “This new methodology is part of a fast-growing body of work that is sending a clear signal that forest carbon crediting can work on the ground and serve as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.”
The methodology, titled Methodology for Conversion of Low-productive Forest to High-productive Forest, was reviewed by two independent auditors under the VCS Methodology Approval Process, a pathway for project developers to create new or modified approaches to curbing emissions. Approval means the methodology may now be used to account for GHG reductions and to issue verified credits known as Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs).
The first of the two independent auditors to review the methodology was Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). The second was Bureau Veritas Certification, contracted directly by the VCS Association. Both assessment reports are available on the VCS website, along with all methodology documentation.