Eligibility, Costs & Fees

Typically, a prospective project will not yet be operational and will use PV Climate from the outset. However, it is possible for a project that is already operational to become an approved PV Climate project, provided it can meet the requirements of the Standard. In such instances, retroactive crediting is possible for up to 5 years prior to completion of validation, provided that there is a strong argument for additionality and it can be evidenced that the project always intended to become carbon certified and generate carbon credits.

PV Climate projects operate with smallholders and/or communities. More-specifically, producers in the project must be:

1. Small-scale farmers, land-users or forest dwellers with recognised land tenure or user rights, whether as an individual (i.e. smallholder) or collectively as a community (see requirements 4 & 5);
2. Organised, or in the process of being organised, into cooperatives, associations, community-based organisations or other organisational forms able to contribute to the social and economic development of their members and communities and democratically controlled by the members; and
3. Able to use existing farmland, forest, woodland or other land type for project activities without undermining livelihood needs.

Producers should also not be structurally dependent on permanently hired labour, and should manage their land mainly with their own and their family’s labour force.

A project needs a coordinator — an established legal entity responsible for managing and reporting on the project. Coordinators should:

• Have strong in-country presence and experience working with local communities.
• Be capable of planning, resourcing, and implementing all project activities.
• Be able to work with governments, partners, and potential buyers.
  Project coordinators should ensure that no more than 40% of certificate revenue is used for coordination and monitoring costs, unless a waiver is agreed.

The land used in the PV Climate project, where the interventions take place that will generate Plan Vivo Certificates (if desired), must be either smallholder land or community-owned land. Land that is not owned by or subject to user rights of smallholders or communities may be included in the project area if it:

1. Represents less than a third of the project area at all times;
2. Was not acquired from smallholders/communities in order to develop the project;
3. Bestows clear benefits to the project on a landscape level; and
4. Is managed under an executed agreement between the owners/managers and the project participants.

In exceptional circumstances, public/government land may be used for a project if management and carbon rights can be clearly transferred to nearby locals. The suitability of this would need to be discussed with Plan Vivo on a case-by-case basis.

Project participants must have secure and stable land rights, so it’s clear who owns or manages the land and can commit to project activities. Formal, government-recognised land rights are ideal, but community-recognised rights may also be accepted with measures to prevent disputes.

If your project plans to issue Plan Vivo Certificates, it must be clear that:

• Participants have the right to the carbon on their land.
• No other carbon projects overlap the same area, or measures are in place to prevent double-counting of benefits.

Your project must promote sustainable use of land and generate ecosystem service benefits by:

• Restoring degraded ecosystems or improving land management,
• Protecting ecosystems from conversion or degradation, or
• Promoting sustainable land use that builds local capacity and supports rural livelihoods.
  Activities must also be additional (beyond what would have happened anyway), avoid leakage (shifting emissions elsewhere), and aim for long-term benefits.

Projects should be practical and grounded in real activities on the ground, not just plans or high-level targets. They should show a clear commitment to piloting, learning, and improving over time.

Registration costs cover the initial fees for submitting a Project Idea Note (PIN) and Project Design Document (PDD) for review by Plan Vivo, as well as any associated methodology assessments. These fees help cover the administrative and technical support needed to ensure projects meet PV Climate requirements before moving to validation and certification.

Project development costs vary widely based on project size, location, and complexity. These costs may include hiring technical experts to prepare documents such as technical specifications. Funding for development may come from grants, early purchaser agreements, or investment. 

Audit Costs

PV Climate requires periodic third-party audits:

• Validation: Before project registration
• Verification: At least every five years after registration

Costs for validation and verification depend on project size, accessibility, intervention type, and auditor rates. These costs are project-specific and not included in Plan Vivo’s fees above. For more information, see the Validation & Verification page or contact the Plan Vivo projects team.

Operational costs (ongoing management and monitoring) vary by project. Annual Reports from existing projects, available on individual project pages, can provide useful examples of typical costs and benefit distribution. 

Plan Vivo does not provide start-up funding. Projects often secure early funding from organisations such as government agencies, international programmes, or philanthropic partners. The Plan Vivo Project Accelerator has previously provided funding for third party validation audits and provides funding advice for participating projects.