Can I register a project under PV Climate? Expand Any organisation that wants to comply with the requirements in the latest version of PV Climate is welcome to submit a project for registration. After they have some confidence that their project will be eligible, the first formal step in the process is to complete and submit a Project Idea Note (PIN) for review, which can be created using the latest PIN template. However, we do also offer introductory calls prior to this step to get to know the prospective project and answer any questions. Requests for such calls can be made by emailing [email protected] For the full registration and certification process, please see the latest version of the Procedures Manual.
Can my project retroactively credit? Expand Given the complex nature of smallholder and community land-use projects, we recognise that many projects can take longer to develop than anticipated and we do not wish to impede projects that take the time to complete appropriate stakeholder engagement and participatory processes. As such, a project’s start date may be up to 5 years prior to the date of validation. However, the project must have a strong additionality argument for any historic activities that it wishes to accredit. For more information, please see the Project Requirements and Glossary on our PV Climate documentation page.
Does Plan Vivo work with blue carbon projects? Expand ‘Blue carbon’ refers to the carbon stored in marine and coastal ecosystems, namely mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh. We currently work with three certified mangrove projects, and are also developing a new blue carbon methodology focusing initially on the quantification of carbon in mangrove forests. The methodology will also include seagrass ecosystems as development continues. Other blue carbon ecosystems (e.g. kelp or other macroalgae) are not currently eligible.
Does Plan Vivo work with energy projects? Expand Plan Vivo does not certify energy-production or energy-efficiency projects, including clean cookstove projects. Plan Vivo only certifies land-use / AFOLU / LULUCF projects.
How can I find upfront funding? Expand Plan Vivo does not provide upfront funding for projects. Funding to support project development can come in multiple forms: Investor finance – Finance for exclusivity rights on the PVCs generated after project registration. The investor will then either use these PVCs for their own emissions reporting, or to sell on to end buyers. Grant funding – Philanthropic finance with no requirement for repayment. Financial borrowing – Receiving income from a lender with stipulated interest and repayment schedules. The Project Development Guidance Manual provides a non-exhaustive list of potential investors and grant funders. Plan Vivo cannot otherwise help source funding for projects.
How do I know if my project will be eligible? Expand Projects must comply with The PV Climate Standard to be registered. The core document to consider is the latest version of the Project Requirements document, which outlines different types of features that a project must have related to, as examples, intervention type, governance structure, and land rights. However, we would also recommend reading the other key documentation associated with the Standard, all of which is available on the Standard documents webpage. Projects must also apply a methodology for quantification, monitoring and verification of carbon benefits. Methodologies come with applicability conditions so it is recommended that an appropriate methodology is located for your project’s planned interventions. If you believe that your intervention is compliant with the Project Requirements yet there is no methodology available, please contact [email protected] for advice.
How long does registration take? Expand The length of time from PIN submission to registration varies between projects. This often ranges around 1 to 2 years (assuming no significant obstructions) and is influenced by project developer capacity and past experience, complexity of a project (influences extent of documentation submitted), speed of resolving feedback, and availability of auditors. Indicative timeframes are provided in the Procedures Manual for stages that the Plan Vivo Secretariat can control.
How much does registration cost? Expand There are three areas of cost associated with registering a project: Project development costs – Resources necessary for a developer to pay internal staff and (if applicable) external contractors to design the project and create the necessary documentation. These costs should be estimated by the project developer. Plan Vivo Foundation costs – Fees associated with the review process that are directly payable to the Plan Vivo Foundation. These can be found on our costs and fees webpage. External auditor costs – Fees associated with paying a Validation and Verification Body (VVB) or Independent Expert (IE) to validate the project (depending on whether a project is macroscale or microscale). For VVBs, this can typically range between $15,000 and $25,000 depending on VVB, project size and location. IE fees are more varied but typically lower than a VVB. After registration, a project should consider the ongoing fees associated with project coordination, PVC issuance and verification events. More information is provided in the Procedures Manual and costs and fees webpage.
How soon can I generate PVCs? Expand After a project has registered, the length of time taken to generate its first PVCs varies based on the PVC type generated, the project’s reporting periods and (for vPVCs) the project's verification period: fPVCs and/or rPVCs – Generated based on the submission and approval of annual reports. The first annual report can be submitted after the first reporting period has passed and the monitoring data for this reporting period has been collected. The first reporting period may have already taken place at by the time of registration or may yet to have started. vPVCs – Generated after the first successful verification following at least one approved annual report. Indicative timeframes are provided in the Procedures Manual for stages that the Plan Vivo Secretariat can control.
Is there a minimum viable project size Expand There is no universal minimum viable project size. Factors affecting financial feasibility of a project include: Income: Carbon potential of activities (PVCs per ha) Size of the project area Expected price per PVC generated Expenses Staff resources Reliance on external capacity for project development Registration and ongoing certification costs We recommend project developers to complete financial feasibility assessments to understand if their project is feasible. If needed, there are external organisations who offer support services for feasibility assessments.
What can be listed as a “community benefit” in the 60:40 benefit sharing split? Expand Please see the Project Development Guidance Manual for information benefit sharing categorisation.
What income should we expect from PVCs? Expand We recommend looking for average pricing in the State of the Voluntary Carbon Market reports, completed by the third-party Ecosystem Marketplace. These provide an estimate for the average price of a PVC, but this value can be influenced by many factors: Project size – Smaller projects can be more selective of buyers and therefore demand a higher price. Selling to end buyers – Selling at retail price to end buyers typically demands higher prices than selling in bulk at wholesale prices to resellers. Intervention type – PVCs from some interventions (e.g. blue carbon) are typically in greater demand than others. Buyer interests – Buyers are willing to pay more for projects that align with their values and/or interests. This may be related to the project’s location, intervention, co-benefits etc. Up-front financing and exclusivity – Upfront financing can provide financial security for the project but is riskier for the investor and so often results in lower PVC pricing and requirements of exclusivity. Marketing strategy – Projects can vary in the level of resourcing they allocate to their marketing strategy, which can influence the demand for their PVCs.
What is the difference between a “project developer” and “project coordinator”? Expand A project developer is responsible for the creation of the project and its documentation during the registration process. A project coordinator is responsible for the ongoing management of the project after registration. These two roles can be allocated to two separate organisations, the same organisation, or a combination of multiple organisations.