Monitoring indicators

The technical specification must detail how the production of carbon offsets will be monitored. Monitoring indicators should be based on easy to measure variables relating to the management requirements given in the technical specification and the associated changes in carbon stocks/emissions. For example:

• Sequestration - Measurements of planting density, survival rates and tree growth.
• Conservation - Monitoring of forest conservation project will have to include periodic measurements of forest cover in the project area, however, monitoring indicators relating to sustainable forest management (establishment of fire breaks, establishment of institutions to regulate forest use, implementation of activities designed to reduce pressure on forest resources etc.) may also be used.
• Substitution - Monitoring indicators for renewable energy projects may refer directly to the measurement of electricity output, or may use surrogate measures, for example period of use per day for a low small-solar powered water pump.

A monitoring template should be included as an annex to the technical specification which will be used for recording monitoring data. See example monitoring forms from the Scolel T project.