High Quality Carbon Credits

There are a number of unique features about rePLANET projects that make the carbon credits issued the highest quality carbon credits available on the market.

There are a number of unique features about rePLANET projects that make the carbon credits issued the highest quality carbon credits available on the market.

However, whilst they are the highest quality, they are nowhere near the most expensive credits because the overall objective of rePLANET is to demonstrate that significant flows of private sector funding can be used to restore or protect ecosystems and make a substantial difference to impoverished local communities. Selling at the highest prices possible will not drive the level of investment needed to restore damaged ecosystems worldwide.

Accurate assumptions over carbon sequestration levels and maximising success of the implementation.

rePLANET has developed detailed carbon tables based on literature and satellite data on above ground biomass for reforestation projects that allow variables such as rainfall levels, soil type and temperature to be input to predict growth rates. These tables which include adjustments for issues such as enteric methane, produce conservative estimates for predicted carbon levels over the lifetime of the project, so that the buyer has a guaranteed supply which is likely to be exceeded in practice.

Mangrove restoration projects sequester significant amounts of carbon by re-establishing forest cover and hydrology. In addition, the restoration of cleared mangroves halts carbon emissions from exposed sediment and microbial activity that would otherwise emit 7 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year, rePLANET carbon tables account for this by factoring in carbon locked in by restoring hydrology (Attwood et al. 2017: Lovelock et al. 2011). Without mangrove restoration, cleared areas sediment carbon reduces by around 200 tonnes per hectare over a 25 year period, therefore, this carbon is claimable as avoided loss credits.

Unlike most avoided loss credits which depend on assumptions about human behaviour, loss of carbon from exposed sediment is an irreversible chemical and physical process which can only be stopped by restoring the original hydrological conditions.

Maximising the success of a project relies on understanding how ecosystems function. For example, in most cases restoring mangroves without providing the right hydrological conditions will result in failure. Likewise, when restoring native forests it is necessary to ensure that fast growing pioneer species (e.g. balsa) are established to provide the shade needed for the late stage succession trees to succeed.

Many carbon credits are sold at enhanced prices on the basis that they are ‘good’ for biodiversity. These credits use a tick box process system to demonstrate that biodiversity has been considered in the whole process called the Climate, Community and Biodiversity standard (CCB). This process type approach doesn’t produce quantifiable data on improvements in biodiversity and it is possible for a project with very little biodiversity benefit to meet the requirements of the CCB standard. rePLANET uses the Wallacea Trust biodiversity credit methodology and the biodiversity data are then audited by the Biodiversity Futures Initiative, an independent NERC funded academic peer review process. Thus for example, carbon credits issued can be associated with a 50% increase in biodiversity over the lifetime of the project. The Biodiversity Units of Gain and Credits page provides more details.

All rePLANET projects ensure that a minimum of 60% of the final resale or retirement value of the credits are paid to local stakeholders (owners, users and managers). This is beneficial to buyers as it removes the possibility of negative media exposure of companies exploiting carbon from developing countries and it also helps assure communities that they are not selling out too early and would be better waiting until prices rise. The Social Impact page has more details on how this works.

Ensuring the amount of funding that reaches local communities is in some ways the easy part. All rePLANET projects have intensive monitoring systems that track how community funding is spent and the number of individuals that benefit. Contracts are offered to communities for a 3-year period where they identify projects that will be funded. Emphasis is put on the development of small businesses, but funding can also help with education and health issues. The funding is provided directly to the communities through our on-ground partners and not through government institutions. There is then independent auditing of how the funds are being spent and the numbers of people in each community benefiting.

High Quality Carbon Credits

What defines high quality?

Accurate assumptions over carbon sequestration levels and maximising success of the implementation.

Quantifying the biodiversity benefits of the restoration programme

Ensuring The Local Stakeholders Get A Fair Deal

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