Verra Introduces Digital AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Tool

Verra is introducing a digital version of its recently updated Non-Permanence Risk Tool (NPRT) for Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects. The digital AFOLU NPRT, also known as the AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Assessment Calculator, will provide project proponents with an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly way to conduct the non-permanence risk assessment for their AFOLU projects and estimate the required buffer pool contributions of those projects.

The Calculator will be available on the Verra Project Hub within the next couple of weeks. Its release is part of the multiyear digitalization effort to which Verra committed under the “Operational Excellence” focus area of its “New Era for Verra” initiative. The integration of digital tools like the AFOLU NPRT enables Verra to increase the transparency, efficiency, and scale of its operations and facilitates the development of high-integrity projects in Verra’s standards programs.

Several features of the Calculator increase its ease of use:

• Automated risk calculation minimizes the risk of user error.
• Electronic production of a consistently formatted final report allows other stakeholders, such as validation/verification bodies (VVBs) and project reviewers, to easily access it and retrieve relevant information.
• The ability to upload all relevant documents, including supporting evidence, in the tool itself expedites the review process by allowing Verra, VVBs, and project proponents to all access the same information in real time.

The Calculator also has a support function that allows users to easily access a guidance document for using the tool and an Excel version of the tool for those who are interested in understanding the relevant calculations.

The Calculator will be accessible on the Verra Project Hub. User onboarding will begin soon, and project proponents with AFOLU projects in the Verra Registry will receive an email with a user manual and further instructions on how to access the tool. As of January 1, 2024, stakeholders must use the new version of the AFOLU NPRT and the Risk Assessment Calculator for all project requests.