Plan Vivo approved under Ecuador’s Zero Carbon Programme
The MAE (Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador) has officially recognised Plan Vivo as an eligible programme within the framework of Ecuador’s Carbon Greenhouse Gas Emissions Compensation Scheme. This follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by MAE and Plan Vivo in February 2025.
Under the MoU, Plan Vivo and MAE will collaborate to:
- Share knowledge and expertise related to PV Climate for capacity building and best practice.
- Implement mechanisms to ensure interoperability between Plan Vivo’s registration system and MAE — guaranteeing transparency, traceability, and efficiency in data management.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive and tailored approach that facilitates the inclusion of small producers.
As a certification standard that has always championed community-led, natured-based projects, Plan Vivo has a strong alignment with the Ecuador Zero Carbon Programme's vision of reaching communities vulnerable to the impact of climate change. We are pleased to partner with the national compensation system in their efforts to support high-integrity carbon projects and we look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience of working with similar projects across the world, as part of this open collaboration.
International partnerships such as this will strengthen Ecuador’s climate commitment by promoting transparent, rigorous, and effective emissions offsetting, MAE announced. Plan Vivo and MAE will now work to develop a joint roadmap to fully operationalize the certification program and its methodologies in Ecuador, with a particular focus on a strategy to include smallholders in the national compensation scheme.
If countries are to unlock the potential of the VCM and leverage otherwise unavailable finance, MoUs and agreements such as these are critical. Plan Vivo has been working proactively with governments in various regions, with PV Climate currently being considered for integration into several national carbon market frameworks across Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
This particular MoU and partnership with MAE will support prospective and certified PV Climate projects in the region through increased government support and encourage projects in this region to pursue PV Climate certification and leverage VCM finance.
Through enabling policy environments and aligning national frameworks with internationally respected methodologies, governments can ensure the VCM is effectively governed, accelerate progress towards climate and biodiversity goals, and make certain that revenue flows fairly to local communities, smallholder farmers, and Indigenous Peoples, as well as national, regional, and local institutions.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email our team.
