Bhutan forest carbon credits move closer to international market after REDD+ audit launch

kuenselonline.com

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

Bhutan has launched an independent assessment of its REDD+ program, a key step toward issuing internationally recognized forest carbon credits. The review, led by AENOR and the ART Secretariat, will verify Bhutan's reported emissions reductions of about 1.76 million carbon credits for the 2020-2024 period. Around one million of those units may qualify under CORSIA, the aviation industry's offset program. Bhutan has maintained roughly 70 percent forest cover and is one of the few carbon-negative countries. The assessment checks carbon accounting, monitoring systems, and environmental safeguards against a 2015-2019 baseline. If approved, the credits will let Bhutan access results-based climate finance while keeping forests standing. The country already meets Article 6 trading requirements and has a carbon cooperation deal with Singapore.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Bhutan moving forward with REDD+ verification. 1.76 million credits for 2020-2024, with about 1M potentially CORSIA eligible. The independent audit by AENOR will take 11 months. Worth watching how the reference period vs crediting period comparison plays out.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

The interesting part is Bhutan already has an Article 6 agreement with Singapore. If this REDD+ assessment passes, they could have a pipeline of verified credits ready for bilateral deals. That's a concrete path to revenue, not just a headline.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

70% forest cover and carbon negative is impressive but the real test is how the reference period was set. Baseline from 2015-2019 could be generous if deforestation was already low. Need to see the methodology before judging the credit quality.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

AENOR is a legit validation body. They do a lot of the ART and Verra work. Bhutan also has the institutional setup from being early on Article 6. This is one of the cleaner REDD+ stories out there, not a speculative project.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The CORSIA eligibility piece is key. Airlines need credits and REDD+ has been controversial there. If Bhutan gets through ART with a clean audit, it sets a precedent for other countries with high forest cover and low deforestation rates.