Since its launch in 2006, the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program has grown into the world’s largest voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) program with over 1,600 registered projects in 82 countries that have cumulatively generated almost 400 million carbon credits. Of the registered projects, almost 180 are AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use) projects that have reduced or removed emissions equivalent to more than 160 million carbon credits. However, due to a number of barriers, only a minor percentage of these AFOLU projects are Agriculture Land Management (ALM) projects.
An integral component of the VCS Program is the Methodology Approval Process, which allows stakeholders to develop new methodologies to quantify and monitor the emission reductions and removals of new project activities, thus expanding the eligibility of project activities under the VCS Program. These new methodologies are submitted to Verra for review before undergoing a technical assessment by an approved Validation/Verification Body (VVB) and ultimate approval by Verra.
Recognizing this, Verra seeks an external expert to act as a consultant to review the technical aspects of a new proposed VCS methodology for regenerative agriculture to ensure its credibility and robustness.
The proposed methodology provides procedures to estimate the GHG emission reductions and removals resulting from the adoption of regenerative agriculture management practices. The methodology focuses on quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) enhancements but also includes quantification of reductions in CH4 and N2O emissions in grower operations, where relevant. The methodology uses a combined quantification approach of modeling with direct measurement.
Please click here to view the Request for Proposals for further details.
All documents must be submitted to Andrew Beauchamp at abeauchamp@verra.org by close of business Wednesday, 12 February 2020. We will finalize the selection of the consultant by the mid-February 2020.