up:: [[Sustainable Development]] tags:: #on/climate_change #on/carbon_offset #on/carbon_sequestration # Carbon Offset Projects (NA) > These are notes for Carbon Offset Projects in North America. Carbon Offset Project are defined by their quality to reduce [[Green House Gases (GHG)]] emissions or increase carbon sequestration. These can include development of renewable energy, capture of GHGs, avoided deforestation, and more. Projects range from small (very hundred tonnes of [[CO2e]] annually) to large (millions of tonnes annually). #### Examples of Offset Project Types * Better management of forests to keep more carbon in trees / soil * Avoiding releases of methane gas from landfills * Taking action to protect forests or grasslands from development (so stored carbon is not released) * Switching to chemicals in refrigeration systems that cause less global warming * Composting organic waste instead of sending it to the landfill * Tree planting * Capturing methane gas generated from livestock manure * Increasing the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils through adoption of regenerative practices ##### Qualities of Valid Carbon Offset Projects Valid carbon offset projects should be *Real, Additional, Quantifiable, Unique, Verifiable and Permanent*; and define clear start date, location, activities, and targeted GHGs. * **Real** * Achieve GHG emissions reductions or removals through a specific and measurable activity. * **Additional** * Must reduce or remove GHGs beyond what was going to happen without the offset project, also known as the baseline scenario or business-as-usual case. * **Quantifiable** * Using approved methods and measurement devices to collect data and calculate GHG reductions or removals. * **Unique** * Only registered under one offset system at a time and the GHG reductions can only be credited once. * **Verifiable** * Can be reviewed and confirmed by a qualified, independent third party. * **Permanent** * CO2 storage be maintained for significant periods, up to 100 years after the offset credits are generated. * Portion of the offsets credits generated may be held back as a form of insurance that can be used in case there are involuntary releases of stored CO2 in the future. #### Benefits of Carbon Offset Projects ##### Economic Benefits: - **Revenue Generation:** Participation in offset projects creates a revenue stream through the sale of offset credits, contributing to funding community priorities. - **Employment Opportunities:** Projects in forestry, agriculture, and waste management sectors offer employment prospects, especially in communities linked to natural resource development. - **Community Investment:** Offset projects may provide jobs related to improved land management and reduced carbon pollution, enhancing economic development. ##### Environmental Benefits: - **Climate Mitigation:** Offset projects offer a means to earn revenue while actively mitigating climate change through various activities. - **Additional Environmental Co-benefits:** Land management projects may provide co-benefits such as enhanced wildlife habitat, improved soil and water quality, and conservation of forests. ##### Social Benefits: - **Cultural and Traditional Use:** Land-based projects contribute to improving wildlife and plant populations for cultural and traditional purposes. - **Community Health:** Waste management projects reduce the risks of harmful pollutants, enhancing community well-being and health. - **Community Capacity Building:** Offset project development helps build community capacity by fostering new skills and knowledge, contributing to long-term community resilience. #### Processes of Implementing a Carbon Offset Project Note that steps 5-8 are an ongoing sub-process. ##### 1. Select a Protocol ##### 2. Project Planning ##### 3. Validation Most systems do not require validation; however, validation may still be helpful to provide confidence that the project will generate the expected credits. Offset system administrators may mandate project proponents to enlist an independent third party for project information verification before registration. The validator assesses if the project aligns with protocol requirements and is likely to generate the anticipated greenhouse gas (GHG) offset credits successfully. ##### 4. Project Registration * A. Project Summary * B. Entitlement to GHG Reductions * Demonstrate ownership or rights to GHGs, and no competing claims. * **Project is on private land**: The project proponent is the landowner or has a legal agreement with the landowner that assigns entitlement to GHG removals or emission reductions from activities on the land. * **Project is on Reserve land or land owned by the community**: The project proponent is the community or has a legal agreement with the community that assigns entitlement to GHG removals or emissions reductions from activities on the land. * **Project is on Indigenous traditional territory on Crown Land**: Entitlement to GHG removals or emission reductions rests with the Crown until assigned otherwise. Communities would need to come to an agreement with the provincial or federal government in order to demonstrate entitlement to GHG removals or emission reductions. * C. Baseline Scenario (Business-as-Usual) and Project Scenario * D. Identification of Sources, Sink, and Reservoirs * Include all relevant GHG sources, sinks and reservoirs for the project activity as described in the offset protocol. * **Source**: A process that releases GHGs into the atmosphere. Sources can include fuel combustion or fertilizer use. * **Sink**: A process that removes GHGs from the atmosphere. Sinks include the capture and storage of carbon in plants, trees and soils. * **Reservoir**: A component that has the capacity to accumulate, store and release GHGs. Reservoirs can include plants, trees and soils. * E. Proof of Additionality * F. Risk Mitigation Plan * Address risks of later carbon release. * G. Leakage * Identify characteristics of the project that will affect the rate of leakage. * Defined as if an activity or demand for the products of an activity shift to another location when the project is implemented. * H. Estimate of GHG Reductions * Based on rules and methodologies in the GHG offset protocol. * A consultant or project partner with quantification expertise may be beneficial. Todo: Notes on the [Verified Carbon Standard](https://verra.org/programs/verified-carbon-standard/), [The Gold Standard](https://www.goldstandard.org/impact-quantification/environmental-markets), [CAR Standard](https://www.climateactionreserve.org/how/voluntary-offset-program/). ##### 5. Implementation ##### 6. Monitoring **A project monitoring plan must include:** * Procedures for gathering and managing information * Description of how the sources, sinks and reservoirs will be monitored This can include using information about the project activities (*amount of fuel, electricity or fertilizer used, amount timber harvested, etc.*) and emissions factors for those activities to estimate the amount of GHGs emitted as a result. In other cases, *computer models are used to estimate emissions*. The approach to estimating GHG emissions and removals from agricultural land or forestry includes a combination of repeated measurements and computer modeling. Offset projects that involve increasing the biological storage of carbon in plants, trees, soil or geological formations must monitor the permanence of those GHG removals during the project and after the crediting period ends. ##### 7. Reporting ##### 8. Verification **A qualified, independent third party Verification Body to confirm:** * the offset project has been implemented in accordance with its protocol and the rules of the offset system. * the amount of GHG reductions or removals achieved is accurate. ##### 9. Credit Issuance ##### 10. Sale of Credits --- #### Sources * [Carbon Offset Projects - Carbon Offset Guide](https://www.offsetguide.org/understanding-carbon-offsets/carbon-offset-projects/) * [Compendium of Federal Offset Protocols - Canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/climate-change/pricing-pollution-how-it-will-work/output-based-pricing-system/federal-greenhouse-gas-offset-system/compendium-protocols.html) * [Greenhouse gas offsets toolkit - Canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/climate-change/pricing-pollution-how-it-will-work/output-based-pricing-system/federal-greenhouse-gas-offset-system/toolkit.html) * [Alberta Emission Offset System | Alberta.ca](https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emission-offset-system) * [2018 - Carbon cycle - Forest Research](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/forestry-statistics/forestry-statistics-2018/uk-forests-and-climate-change-5/carbon-cycle/) * [natureconservancy.ca/en/what-we-do/nature-and-climate/carbon-offsets.html](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-we-do/nature-and-climate/carbon-offsets.html) * [Verified Carbon Standard - Verra](https://verra.org/programs/verified-carbon-standard/) * [SD VISta Program Details - Verra](https://verra.org/programs/sd-verified-impact-standard/sd-program-details/) * [Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards - Verra](https://verra.org/programs/ccbs/) * [The Core Carbon Principles](https://icvcm.org/the-core-carbon-principles/)