Requirements for validation

The validation report for afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects must confirm that the CDM project eligibility requirements for afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects, set out in 5/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 12, have been met.

In summary, the requirements for validation are that:

• The participation requirements for all CDM projects, as well as the specific participation requirements for A/R projects, have been satisfied;
• Comments by local stakeholders have been invited and taken into account;
• Project participants have submitted an analysis of the project activity's socio-economic and environmental impacts to the DOE;
• The proposed activity is additional;
• Project participants have specified an approach to address non-permanence;
• The baseline and monitoring methodology has been approved, or is submitted in accordance with requirements and subsequently approved;
• Provisions for monitoring, verification and reporting comply with the CDM rules; and
• The project conforms with all other requirements for A/R projects.
  

These requirements are set out in full in 5/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 12:

The DOE selected by the project participants to validate a proposed afforestation or reforestation project activity under the CDM, being under a contractual arrangement with them, shall review the project design document and any supporting documentation to confirm that the following requirements have been met:

1. The participation requirements set out in paragraphs 28-30 of the annex to decision 17/CP.7 and paragraphs 8 and 9 above are satisfied
2. Comments by local stakeholders have been invited, a summary of the comments received has been provided, and a report to the DOE on how due account was taken of any comments has been received
3. Project participants have submitted to the DOE documentation on the analysis of the socio-economic and environmental impacts, including impacts on biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and impacts outside the project boundary of the proposed afforestation or reforestation project activity under the CDM. If any negative impact is considered significant by the project participants or the host Party, project participants have undertaken a socio-economic impact assessment and/or an environmental impact assessment in accordance with the procedures required by the host Party. Project participants shall submit a statement that confirms that they have undertaken such an assessment in accordance with the procedures required by the host Party and include a description of the planned monitoring and remedial measures to address them
4. The proposed afforestation or reforestation project activity under the CDM is additional if the actual net greenhouse gas removals by sinks are increased above the sum of the changes in carbon stocks in the carbon pools within the project boundary that would have occurred in the absence of the registered CDM afforestation or reforestation project activity, in accordance with paragraphs 18-24 below
5. Management activities, including harvesting cycles, and verifications are chosen such that a systematic coincidence of verification and peaks in carbon stocks is avoided
6. Project participants have specified the approach proposed to address non permanence in accordance with paragraph 38 below
7. The baseline and monitoring methodologies selected by project participants comply with requirements pertaining to:
   1. Methodologies previously approved by the Executive Board; or
   2. Modalities and procedures for establishing a new methodology, as set out in paragraph 13 below;
8. Provisions for monitoring, verification and reporting are in accordance with decision 19/CP.9, the present annex and relevant decisions of the COP/MOP
9. The proposed project activity conforms to all other requirements for afforestation and reforestation project activities under the CDM in decision 19/CP.9, the present annex and relevant decisions by the COP/MOP and the Executive Board (5/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 12).

Process for inviting stakeholder comments

The Executive Board has clarified that the stakeholder consultation process described in paragraph (c) above must be conducted in an open and transparent manner, allowing a reasonable time for comment and describing project activities in an easily comprehensible way:

An invitation for comments by local stakeholders shall be made in an open and transparent manner, in a way that facilities comments to be received from local stakeholders and allows for a reasonable time for comments to be submitted. In this regard, project participants shall describe a project activity in a manner which allows the local stakeholders to understand the project activity, taking into account confidentiality provisions of the CDM modalities and procedures (EB 8 Annex 3, paragraph 2(b)).