Plan Vivo Standard

METHODOLOGY
REQUIREMENTS
Version 1.0

Plan Vivo Standard Methodology Requirements, Version 1.0 1

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION5
METHODOLOGY REQUIREMENTS  6

1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 7
1.1 Methodology structure 7
1.2 Uncertainty 7
1.3 Quantifying emissions and removals 8
1.4 Measurements and sampling 8
1.5 Models, default factors and proxies 8

2 METHODOLOGY COMPONENTS 10
2.1 Applicability conditions 10
2.2 Carbon pools and emissions sources 10
2.3 Baseline scenario and additionality 11
2.4 Carbon baseline 11
2.5 Project emissions and removals 12
2.6 Harvesting 12
2.7 Leakage 13
2.8 Calculation of carbon benefits 13
INTRODUCTION

The Carbon Benefits of Plan Vivo projects must be calculated using an approved
Methodology. Methodologies must describe all procedures, data and parameters needed
to estimate and monitor Carbon Benefits and can refer to approved Modules and Tools.
Approved Methodologies, Modules and Tools are published on the Plan Vivo webpage1
and are available for use by all Plan Vivo projects that meet the specified applicability
conditions. Relevant methodologies approved by other recognised GHG Programs can also
be used in Plan Vivo projects, and Plan Vivo Methodologies can also refer to Modules and
Tools approved by other recognised GHG Programs.2

If an existing Methodology for calculating Carbon Benefits that is applicable to the Project
Area(s) and Project Intervention is not available, new Methodologies, Modules and Tools
can be submitted to Plan Vivo for approval. The process for submitting a new Methodology
is described in the Procedures Manual. Methodologies, Modules and Tools must meet all
Methodology Requirements.

These Methodology Requirements describe the criteria against which all Methodologies,
Modules and Tools are assessed. They are aligned with ISO 14064:2:2019, and The
Greenhouse Gas Protocol; and are designed to ensure that Carbon Benefits are real,
additional, measurable and verifiable, in line with the following principles:

RELEVANCE AND COMPLETENESS

Selection of Carbon Pools and emission sources, and approaches for estimating Carbon
Benefits, that are appropriate to the Project Intervention and the Project Area.

CONSISTENCY
Use of uniform approaches for estimating Carbon Benefits among projects.

ACCURACY
Avoiding or eliminating bias from inputs used to estimate or quantify Carbon Benefits.

TRANSPARENCY
Maintaining a clear record of approaches, data and assumptions used to
quantify Carbon Benefits.

CONSERVATIVENESS
Managing uncertainty to minimise potential for overestimation of Carbon Benefits.

Since the Plan Vivo Standard targets Projects working with smallholders and community
groups, the Methodology Requirements represent a balance between providing the accuracy
and precision required for robust claims of GHG emission reductions and removals, and
the cost of estimation and monitoring. The importance of minimising the potential for
overestimating Carbon Benefits is recognised, as well as the importance of low-cost
approaches to enable projects that would otherwise be unable to go ahead.

1  https://www.planvivo.org/methodologies
2  The only GHG Programme currently recognised is the UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism

Plan Vivo Standard Methodology Requirements, Version 1.0 5

 METHODOLOGY
REQUIREMENTS

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1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.1 METHODOLOGY STRUCTURE

Requirements
1.1.1 Methodologies, Modules and Tools must be prepared using the most recent Plan
Vivo Methodology/Module/Tool Template and must include sufficient information to
enable their consistent application by Projects, and to enable reviewers to assess
whether they meet the Methodology Requirements.

Guidance
▶ Methodology/Module/Tool Templates are available on the Plan Vivo website.

1.2 UNCERTAINTY

Requirements
1.2.1 If sampling approaches are used to estimate Carbon Benefits, Methodologies must
describe approaches for calculating sampling uncertainty at a 90% confidence level;
and specify appropriate uncertainty adjustments if the 90% confidence interval is
greater than 50% of the measured value.

1.2.2 If models are used to estimate Carbon Benefits, Methodologies must describe
approaches for estimating model uncertainty as a percentage of the measured value;
and specify appropriate uncertainty adjustments if model uncertainty exceeds 50% at
a 90% confidence level.

1.2.3 If required, uncertainty adjustments must be applied to deduct a proportion of

Carbon Benefits that is equal to or greater than 0.25 × U - 0.5, where U is the
uncertainty as a percentage of the measured Carbon Benefit.

1.2.4 Sources of uncertainty in estimated Carbon Benefits that cannot be readily quantified
must be controlled through the use of best practice approaches (e.g. to reduce
measurement error), appropriate default values, proxies that are strongly correlated
with the values they are used to predict, and robust assumptions.

1.2.5 Conservative approaches must be used for estimating expected Carbon Benefits.

Guidance
▶ Example of minimum uncertainty adjustment for measured Carbon Bene its where the
uncertainty at a 90% confidence level was 70% of the measured value. U = 0.7, so the
minimum adjustment would be 0.25 × (0.7-0.5) = 0.05, so the Carbon Bene it the Project
could claim would be reduced by 5%.

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 1.3 QUANTIFYING EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS

Requirements
1.3.1 Approaches used for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and changes in
carbon stocks must be consistent with international good practices in greenhouse
gas accounting.

1.3.2 Methodologies must quantify greenhouse gas emissions and changes in carbon
stocks separately for Carbon Pools and emission sources.

1.3.3 All greenhouse gas emissions must be converted to CO2 equivalent using 100-year
global warming potentials from the most recent IPCC Assessment Report.

1.3.4 Methodologies must identify, describe and justify all data, parameters, assumptions,
and calculations used to estimate and measure Carbon Benefits.

Guidance
1.3.5 Examples of international good practice for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and
change in carbon stocks include IPCC 2019 refinement to 2006 Guidelines for National
GHG Inventories.3

1.3.6 For Carbon Pools and emissions sources to include see Section 2.2.

1.4 MEASUREMENTS AND SAMPLING

Requirements
1.4.1 If Methodologies include direct measurements of greenhouse gas emissions and
carbon stocks, the methods to be used for data collection, analysis and uncertainty
estimation must be specified and comply with international best practice; and
adjustments to avoid over-estimation of Carbon Benefits must be applied (see
Section 1.2).

Guidance
▶ Stratified sampling is recommended to reduce levels of uncertainty.

1.5 MODELS, DEFAULT FACTORS AND PROXIES

Requirements
1.5.1 If Methodologies use models to simulate greenhouse emissions, the models must:
i) be publicly available; ii) have been reviewed and tested for use across the full
scope described in the Methodology’s applicability criteria; and iii) apply conservative
assumptions, parameters, and adjustments to avoid over-estimation of Carbon
Benefits (see Section 1.2).

1.5.2 If Methodologies use third party default factors to quantify greenhouse gas emissions,
they must be publicly available from a recognised and credible source and also the
most current (up-to-date) versions.

3  https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/index.html

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 1.5.3 If Methodologies include novel default factors, full details of the methods and data
used to establish the default factors must be provided.

1.5.4 If Methodologies allow the use of Project-specific default factors, full details of the
approaches for establishing the default factors must be provided and comply with
international best practice.

1.5.5 If Methodologies use proxies, they must be strongly correlated with the value they are
used to quantify.

Guidance
▶ Although models must be publicly available, they do not have to be free to use.

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 2 METHODOLOGY COMPONENTS

2.1 APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS

Requirements
2.1.1 Methodologies must specify the Project Intervention(s) and geographical location(s)
they are applicable to, and any other criteria for determining the situations in which
they can or cannot be applied.

2.1.2 Methodologies must specify the type(s) of Plan Vivo Certificate they can be used to
claim (i.e. fPVCs, rPVCs, or vPVCs).

Guidance
2.1.3 Carbon Benefits from greenhouse gas emission reductions are only eligible for reported
Plan Vivo Certificates (rPVCs) after the emission reduction has occurred.

2.1.4 Verified Plan Vivo Certificates (vPVCs) are issued once a Carbon Benefit has been achieved
and Verified.

2.1.5 For rPVCs to be converted to vPVCs they must be Verified within 5-years of issuance.

2.1.6 fPVCs can be issued for Carbon Benefits that are expected to be achieved within a Forward
Crediting Period that does not exceed the duration of the Crediting Period or 50-years
(whichever if shorter).

2.2 CARBON POOLS AND EMISSIONS SOURCES

Requirements
2.2.1 Methodologies must identify the Carbon Pools and emission sources that will be
assessed, or the criteria and approaches for determining these.

2.2.2 The following Carbon Pools and emission sources must be considered for inclusion
in the Methodology, and justification must be provided for any excluded Carbon Pools
or emission sources: Carbon Pools – Aboveground woody biomass, Aboveground
non-woody biomass, Belowground biomass, Litter, Deadwood, Soil organic carbon,
Wood products; Emission sources – Nitrogen fertilisers (N2O), Nitrogen fixing species
(N2O), Biomass burning (CH4), Fossil fuel use (CO2), Enteric fermentation (CH4), Manure
deposition (CH4, N2O), Soil methanogenesis (CH4).

2.2.3 Carbon Pools and emission sources must be included if the Project Scenario
emissions from that Carbon Pool or emission source are greater than in the Baseline
Scenario.

2.2.4 Carbon Pools and emission sources that generate more emissions in the Project
Scenario than the Baseline Scenario can be excluded if the total difference in
emissions between the Baseline Scenario and Project Scenario for all excluded
Carbon Pools and emission sources does not exceed 5% of the total expected Carbon
Benefits of the Project.

2.2.5 The same Carbon Pools and emission sources must be assessed for quantifying the
Carbon Baseline, Project emissions and removals, and Leakage.

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Guidance
▶ The Tool for testing significance of GHG emissions in A/R CDM project activities4 can be used
to determine whether omitted Carbon Pools and emission sources could reduce Carbon
Benefits by more than 5%.

▶ Only long-term storage of carbon in harvested wood products (i.e. >50 years) can be included
when estimating the Carbon Benefits from this Carbon Pool.

2.3 BASELINE SCENARIO AND ADDITIONALITY

Requirements
2.3.1 Methodologies must describe approaches for describing the most likely land use and
land management in the absence of Project Intervention(s) for each Project Area.

2.3.2 Methodologies must describe approaches for demonstrating the Additionality of

Carbon Benefits by showing that Project Interventions would not be feasible for Project
Participants to implement in the absence of the Project.

2.3.3 Methodologies must describe approaches for updating the Baseline Scenario and re-
assessing Additionality at least every 10-years throughout the Project Period.

Guidance
▶ The Baseline Scenario and Additionality assessment must be updated to incorporate the
impacts of any material changes that affect the most likely land use and land management
scenario in the absence of Project Interventions e.g. policy or legal changes, or new
developments that affect the Project Region.

2.4 CARBON BASELINE

Requirements
2.4.1 Methodologies must describe approaches for estimating the Carbon Baseline for all
relevant Carbon Pools and emission sources in each year of the Crediting Period (for
rPVCs and vPVCs) or Forward Crediting Period (for fPVCs).

2.4.2 The Carbon Baseline must reflect the Baseline Scenario, and can be informed by
historical, measured, or modelled activity data describing conditions in the Project
Area(s) prior to the establishment of the Project Intervention(s).

2.4.3 If the Carbon Baseline is developed using historical data to establish an average
or trend, the historical reference period must start within 10-years and end within
2-years of the Start Date.

2.4.4 Methodologies must describe approaches for reviewing and updating the Carbon
Baseline at least every 10-years, throughout the Crediting Period.

Guidance
▶ Approaches for reviewing the Carbon Baseline could include direct or indirect measurements
at control sites, and/or a reassessment of whether key assumptions remain valid, using data
collected during the Crediting Period.

4  https://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/ARmethodologies/tools/ar-am-tool-04-v1.pdf

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 2.5 PROJECT EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS

Requirements
2.5.1 Methodologies must describe approaches for estimating the expected Carbon
Benefits for all relevant Carbon Pools and emission sources for each year of the
Crediting Period (for rPVCs and vPVCs) or Forward Crediting Period (for fPVCs).

2.5.2 If Methodologies are used to claim fPVCs, approaches used to estimate the expected
Carbon Benefits must conform with Requirement 1.2.5.

2.5.3 Methodologies for claiming vPVCs must identify Carbon Indicators for each relevant
Carbon Pool and emission source and describe approaches for estimating Project
emissions and removals achieved in each Verification Period.

Guidance
▶ If the estimated Project emissions and removals will not be used to claim fPVCs, estimates of
expected Carbon Benefits do not need to conform with Requirement 1.2.5.

2.6 HARVESTING

Requirements
2.6.1 Plan Vivo Certificates cannot be claimed for Carbon Benefits that will be reversed as a
result of tree harvesting within 50-years of the Start Date.

2.6.2 If quantifying carbon stocks for a Project Scenario that includes harvesting with even-
aged management, the number of Plan Vivo Certificates claimed must not exceed the
average Carbon Benefit over at least one full rotation that includes the final harvest.

2.6.3 If quantifying carbon stocks for a Project Scenario includes thinning or partial felling,
the number of Plan Vivo Certificates claimed must not exceed the minimum post-
harvest Carbon Benefit.

Guidance
▶ The number of full rotations included when calculating average Carbon Benefits of even-aged
management systems must not exceed the number of full or partial rotations included
within a 50-year period. E.g. if the rotation length is 30-years, average Carbon Bene it should
be calculated over 2 full rotations.

▶ Emissions from partial felling can also be calculated using IPCC gain-loss approaches, which
may be more suitable for Projects that focus on improved forest management.

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2.7 LEAKAGE

Requirements
2.7.1 Methodologies must describe approaches to estimate potential Leakage and/or
applying an appropriate Leakage Discount in each year of the Crediting Period (for
rPVCS and vPVCs) or Forward Crediting Period (for fPVCs).

2.7.2 Methodologies for claiming vPVCs must describe approaches for estimating Leakage
that occurs, or for applying an appropriate Leakage Discount during each Verification
period.

Guidance
▶ Leakage beyond national boundaries does not need to be considered.

▶ Potential sources of Leakage include displacement of agricultural production, wood

harvesting, firewood gathering, livestock, mining, and other activities or events that degrade
carbon stocks from the Project Area to other areas as a direct and/or indirect result of the
Project Intervention.

▶ If Leakage Discounts are used instead of measuring Leakage that occurs, the Leakage
Discount should represent the maximum Leakage emissions that could be attributed to the
Project Intervention(s).

2.8 CALCULATION OF CARBON BENEFITS

Requirements
2.8.1 Methodologies must describe approaches to calculate expected Carbon Benefits for
each year of the Crediting Period (for rPVCs and vPVCs) or Forward Crediting Period
(for fPVCs) by subtracting expected Project Scenario and Leakage emissions from the
Carbon Baseline emissions.

2.8.2 Methodologies for claiming vPVCs must describe approaches to calculate Carbon
Benefits achieved during each Verification period by subtracting measured Project
Scenario emissions and measured or maximum-potential Leakage emissions from
the Carbon Baseline emissions.

Plan Vivo Standard Methodology Requirements, Version 1.0 13

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