As the leading greenhouse gas (GHG) program for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU), Verra seeks to ensure that its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) AFOLU projects continue to support global efforts to address climate change based on practical and robust, science-based requirements and methodologies that reflect current best practices and state-of-the-art thinking on carbon accounting. Accordingly, Verra is in the process of updating the Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Requirements. While most projects going forward will be nested, there are cases where standalone activities may still be needed (e.g., in early stage jurisdictions without a high-quality reference level). For these cases, Verra is considering the consolidation of methodologies for projects that reduce emissions from unplanned deforestation and forest degradation (AUDD REDD) to make them more streamlined and user-friendly, and to ensure consistency so that such projects estimate their GHG benefits.

In this context, Verra seeks a consultant with expertise in the development REDD+ methodologies and projects, and in the alignment between jurisdictional and project-level baselines, to

  1. Propose options to ensure consistency across REDD project methodologies and consider the feasibility of consolidating some or all of them, taking into account the existing information and proposals on standardized reference regions and the upcoming JNR Allocation Tool, and
  2. Develop a standardized or consolidated methodology based on the analysis of the proposed options.

Verra will draw on the consultant’s work to revise and re-publish REDD methodologies, OR produce a consolidated one, which will be presented in a public consultation in Q4 2020. Current methodology developers will be consulted on these matters as well. These updates are anticipated to be finalized and published in January 2021.

Please click here to view the complete Request for Proposals.

All documents must be submitted to Manuel Estrada at mestrada@verra.org by close of business 7 August 2020. We will finalize the selection of the consultant by mid August 2020.