Verra Partners With Geospatial Firms to Speed Up REDD Carbon Baselines

carbonherald.com

by retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 points

Verra has appointed Agresta, Space Intelligence, and TerraCarbon to create deforestation risk maps for forest carbon projects. These maps are essential for setting the baselines used to measure and credit emissions reductions under the VM0048 methodology. By using these long term mapping partners, Verra aims to provide open access data and remove bottlenecks that slow down project development. Initial work focuses on jurisdictions including Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Verra is trying to fix the baseline bottleneck. They hired three firms to handle the geospatial mapping for REDD projects in places like Brazil and DRC. It is a move toward open data, which should make project development faster.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The real question is the PADA fee. Verra and the providers both get a cut. We need to see if this incentive structure actually improves map accuracy or if it just creates a new payment layer for developers.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

Good to see specific jurisdictions like Mato Grosso and Para listed. Those areas have been hotspots for baseline disputes. Using third party geospatial firms might add some needed objectivity.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Mapping is one thing, but how often are these baselines updated? If the validity period is too long, the credits lose their connection to real time forest cover changes.