Verra invites proposals for a consultant to collect data and potentially conduct a review of Avoiding Planned Deforestation (APD) projects registered in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program to determine the extent of deforestation risk the areas in which the projects are located face. A second objective is to assess to what extent deforestation has been halted as a result of VCS project activities.
The selected consultant will identify and use data from concessions and timber harvest permits granted and executed in several countries and, if possible, compare this data with the expected deforestation rates APD projects use in their baseline calculations.
This analysis will be used to strengthen Verra’s current APD accounting methods. Verra is currently developing an updated APD module for projects to use in conjunction with VM0048, the new REDD methodology. Updates to other VCS APD methodologies are expected for early 2024.
It is possible that the research could inform the development of performance-based APD baselines, e.g., that data resulting from this analysis could be useful for setting project baselines in the countries in which the work is being carried out. The results of this research might also be used to provide peer-reviewed data to improve the scientific basis for such baselines.
Verra is currently developing an updated APD module for projects to use in conjunction with VM0048, the new REDD methodology. Updates on some of the APD methodologies are forthcoming in December 2023.
Interested consultants should review the Request for Proposals (PDF) for further details on the scope of work, deliverables, timeline, and required skills and qualifications to apply.
Please submit all proposals and documents to forestcarbon@verra.org by Sunday, January 14, 2024.