Nature-based carbon projects have become increasingly popular as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. These projects include activities such as reforestation, agroforestry, and conservation of wetlands and other natural ecosystems in addition to technological improvements and renewable energy. These projects not only sequester carbon but also provide a range of other environmental and social benefits.

Due diligence is a critical step in the development and implementation of any nature-based carbon project and purchases of large quantities of Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs). Due diligence helps to ensure that the project is scientifically sound, environmentally and socially responsible, and financially viable and that double-counting of VCUs have not occurred.

There are different types of nature-based carbon projects and the carbon sequestration potential of each. For example, reforestation projects can sequester large amounts of carbon, while wetlands conservation projects may have a more limited carbon sequestration potential but can provide a range of other environmental benefits such as water purification and biodiversity conservation.

Due diligence will assess the project’s scientific and technical feasibility, evaluating the project’s compliance with relevant regulations and standards, and assessing the project’s potential environmental and social impacts, current performance and longer-term risks such as climate change influences.

The importance of stakeholder engagement and communication in the development and implementation of nature-based carbon projects cannot be underestimated. Effective stakeholder engagement can help to ensure the successful development, implementation, continuation and performance of a project, as well as provide opportunities for local communities to benefit from the project.

Nature-based carbon projects not only sequester carbon but also provide a range of other environmental and social benefits and can generate a variety of credits that can be used to offset emissions and support sustainable development.

Using a variety of proven methodologies and data, envirosense, can performance high-quality and in-depth due diligence to determine the potential for the project to include all potential aims and tenants of sustainanbility and correctly accounted VCU issuance. Depending on the risk and initial findings, envirosense can deploy foresters and ecologists on the ground to conduct due diligence and monitor the project on behalf of credit off-takers.