Carbon forestry project proponents often seek technical support at various stages in the development of their projects. We aim to allow clients to integrate our services with their projects depending on their needs at any stage of their project. We can be consulted for specific project technical elements such as developing a business as usual carbon emission baseline, or work side-by-side with a project proponent all the way through the project development process.

We offer a suite of technical services depending on project needs. These include: initial project screening and scoping, biomass surveys and carbon stock assessments, remote sensing, assessments of High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF), performing computer simulation modeling of future deforestation, to the drafting and submission of technical project design documents such as those for the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) Standard.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) is also one of Forest Carbon’s key services. MRV occurs after projects have started being implemented on the ground and regular forest monitoring and reporting is required to verify forest conditions for crediting purposes.

As an independent, vertically integrated, consulting firm. Forest Carbon is able to flexibly offer services to project proponents specific needs.  At the same time, we offer services along a structured project development path.  The key steps in this development path include:  i) Feasibility and Eligibility Studies, ii) Establishment of Ground Conditions and Boundaries, iii) Initial Baseline Determination, iv) Biomass Surveys, v) Final Baseline Determination, vi) Assessment of HCVF, vii) Draft Project Design Documents and viii) Project Registration.

REDD stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It is a mechanism designed to use market/financial incentives in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and forest degradation. While the original objective of REDD was to reduce greenhouse gases, when developed comprehensively as either a national strategy or at the project level, it can deliver “co-benefits” such as biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. REDD credits offer the opportunity to create a new commodity that can be valued by a market, and thus by extension create market value in for forest conservation and the sustainable management of forests.

It is significant because historically, global approaches to curb deforestation have been unsuccessful. It is the first time that conservation has had a modern market tool linked directly to a commodity. In other words, forests can now be valued for the role that they play in storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. This creates market incentives for investment in new initiatives for forest conversation that can be tapped by governments, private companies and NGOs alike.

In 2007, at the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Bali (COP-13) an agreement was reached called the Bali Action Plan. The Bali Action Plan was part of the two-year Bali Road Map, lasting from 2007-2009. The Bali Action plan was directed toward forest conservation, sustainable forest management and the enhancement of carbon stocks. The Bali Action plan stated that: “Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries;” [FCCC/CP/2007/6/Add.1, 14 March 2008; Decision 1/CP.13 [BAP], paragraph 1(b)(iii)]

At the UNFCCC-COP 13 meeting in Bali, where a roadmap for the implementation of REDD was officially recognized, the concept of REDD was being developed globally. Over the next two years, the concept of “REDD-plus” emerged, calling for activities to address issues relating to the implementation of REDD and implications for local communities, indigenous people and forests which relate to reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation.

In 2009, the definition of REDD was generally expanded to include mitigation measures from conservation, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

In 2009, at COP-15 in Copenhagen, an Accord was drafted on the 18th of December 2009 noting in section 6 the recognition of the crucial role of REDD and REDD-plus and the need to provide positive incentives for such actions by enabling the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries. The Accord goes on to note in section 8 that the collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, will approach USD 30 billion for the period 2010 – 2012.

Generally speaking, REDD-Readiness is a national strategy to prepare for a post-2012 REDD payment mechanism funded by multi-laterals. REDD-Readiness is normally developed in-part to slot within a United Nations system and in-part for integration with private carbon markets. This tends to entail the national-level implementation of REDD, rather than the project level implementation.

Countries eligible for REDD typically require additional capacity support in forest governance in order to execute REDD activities and handle REDD financing effectively and equitably.

“Readiness” is normally focused on the following national-level priority issues.
• Preparation of national strategies to reduce emissions through local stakeholder consultations,
• Institutional, technical, human capacity building,
• Designing/implementing Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, and national forest carbon accounting systems,
• Developing national systems for determining baselines and Reference Emissions Levels,
• Transparent, equitable and accountable benefit sharing mechanisms,
• Developing safeguards and grievance mechanisms to protect the interests of forest communities and the poor
• Clarify national land, forest and carbon tenure rights.