6.4 Durability and Monitoring (PREFERRED)
Last updated
Last updated
corresponds to NCS
The project start is defined by concrete activities to promote the sink performance and by the documented intention to commit.
The project duration is at least 50 years. According to the model assumptions (see "Determination of sink performance in natural forest reserves"), the stock doubles in about 40 years.
The monitoring period is 1 to 5 years.
The project operator commits to maintaining a stock level higher than the "normal" wood stock for the duration of the climate protection project, by building up stock and/or guaranteeing that a certain stock level is not fallen below.
If the project assumptions are based on an inventory, then a new inventory must be conducted no later than after 15 years (inventory date), in the mountains after 20 years. The deadline can be extended if a new inventory is carried out within five years of the project being validated according to this method. If the project assumptions are not based on an inventory, such an inventory must be carried out within five years.
The reference scenario is periodically, but at the latest within the framework of the new inventory, checked for its validity. In the case of exceptional events such as calamities, if it is assumed that the project assumptions are no longer valid and could affect already issued certificates, the project owner is obliged to report this to the registry organisation, so that it can stop the project from selling certificates if necessary. The project assumptions are also reviewed in the event of forest damage exceeding one year's harvesting rate.
If the new inventory shows lower storage values than previously reported, the corresponding amounts must be entered negatively in the project register. For measures to minimise risk, the conditions in chapter apply.
Projects of the two methods "Method for Climate Protection Projects in Forests for Switzerland" and "SILVACONSULT® Forest Carbon Standard" are transferred into this method as part of the monitoring.
Natural forest reserves: For forest reserves with a duration of at least 50 years, emission reductions (sink performance) are determined ex-ante based on model assumptions. The monitoring method consists of monitoring the non-use of wood on the reserve area. This means checking that the conditions according to MCPFE are met and no wood is actually used.
The same regulations apply for old-growth wood islands. When establishing and accounting for old-growth wood islands, recognised principles must be observed such as the "Selection criteria for old-growth wood islands, recommendations for delineation and assessment of old-growth wood islands".
Thibault L. et al. 2010: Selection criteria for old-growth wood islands Recommendations for delisting and assessment of old-growth wood islands. Eid. Research Institute WSL 77 p., ()
The areas of natural forest reserves are considered separately from other project areas.
Project area in hectares, accurate to 0.1 ha, or rounded down to the whole ha value.
The additional standing total tree biomass in tCO₂, derived from the standing living timber stock in m3/ha by tree species or species groups, is credited. The other storage types are conservatively excluded from crediting.
Timber stock: The standing wood stock is specified in m3 and converted to tCO₂e living tree biomass.
Increment: The increment in m3 is converted to tCO₂e living tree biomass.
Use: Use is relinquished in natural forest reserves.
The origin of the data is declared in each case. Stock and growth data come from measured inventories or model assumptions. The area from operational planning / GIS analysis. Model assumptions from literature.
Sink performance The sink performance is determined by tree species or species groups. Generally recognised values from the literature for the parameters wood density, carbon content and biomass expansion must be used.
Use Use is relinquished in natural forest reserves.
Increment The increment is determined or estimated on the basis of sampling inventories. Recognised methods must be used. In the case of estimates, the conservative approach must be considered.
Mortality Mortality is not synonymous with the immediate release of bound carbon. Mortality is recorded in the stock change method or within the framework of inventories.
Leakage = Land utilisation amount in year i of crediting
= sustainable utilisation potential of the land
= Credited forest sink performance in the country, sum of all projects, in monitoring year i for leakage control
If then otherwise %
The monitoring period extends over the entire project duration of 50 years in natural forest reserves. The individual monitoring periods (ex-post) can last between 1 and 5 years. Monitoring must be maintained throughout the project duration.
The project owner ensures that monitoring is conducted properly (self-management, programme manager, external body).
Recognised quality assurance methods must be ensured for the acquisition and processing of relevant data.
The project owner ensures that the data are stored properly (self-management, programme manager, external body).
The applicant of the project must create a greenhouse gas report (monitoring report) and make it available to the intended users. The greenhouse gas report must
identify the intended application and the intended user of the greenhouse gas report and
have a structure and content that meet the needs of the intended user.
Information that applies to multiple projects in a programme can be maintained by the programme organisation and does not need to be recorded anew for each project.
Description of the parameter
Creditable project area
Unit
Hectare
Data source
operational planning, land registry, etc.
Description of the parameter
Management plan, forest planning, or similar document containing a condition assessment and planning for the forestry operation.
Unit
n/a
Data source
Owner/Operation
Optional
Description of the parameter
Status of a voluntary certification
Unit
n/a
Data source
Databases FSC, PEFC etc.
Required if no management plan, voluntary certification, or forest development plan is present)
Description of the parameter
Document
Unit
n/a
Data source
Owner/Operation
Description of the parameter
In the case of newer inventories, the calculation bases must be adjusted, e.g. stock, growth
Unit
n/a
Data source
Inventory report/Owner/Operation/others
Description of the parameter
Total national volume of timber use in the year of crediting (N-Land)
Unit
m³
Data source
Timber use statistics of the country
Summe aller Wald-Senkenleistungsprojekte im Inland, im Monitoringjahr (SL-Land)
zur Kontrolle von Leakage
Description of the parameter
Projects
Unit
m³
Data source
Central position
Description of the parameter
May not exceed the value of potential land use (less project sink performance) for an assumption of leakage=0
Unit
m³
Data source
Calculation, total timber usage of the country (statistics) minus total sink performance of all projects (statistics)
Description of the parameter
Reference value and project - starting value
Unit
m³
Data source
Inventory reports, inventories projected from the project start, qualified estimates
Description of the parameter
to be specified country or region-specific
Unit
t DM/m³
Data source
Description of the parameter
to be specified according to the country or region
Unit
t DM/m³
Data source
Description of the parameter
to be specified according to the country or region
Unit
tCO₂/m³
Data source
Description of the parameter
to be specified according to the country or region
Unit
tCO₂/m³
Data source
Description of the parameter
0.5
Unit
Dimensionless
Data source
Description of the parameter
44/12 = 3.67
Unit
Dimensionless
Data source
Description of the parameter
to be specified according to the country
Unit
Mio. m³/year
Data source
-
Carbon storage as in chap. .
The sink capacity is quantified and described in chapter . 
Timber stock The timber stock is determined through acknowledged methods of forest inventory in m3 standing stem wood. The results must be documented including the specification of the traceable accuracy. See chapter . When estimating the stock, the estimation parameters must be recognised and conservatively applied. The timber stock is recorded by tree species or groups of species and converted to the living tree biomass using recognised factors.
According to Ref. , for example, productive forest land in Switzerland totals 1.11 million ha, of which medium to long term 10% are excluded from commercial use as reserves.
Leakage control parameter The total utilisation of the land may not exceed the value of the potentially possible utilisation (minus project sink performances) to assume leakage = zero, (see chap. ).
e.g. : Volz, Richard; Nauser, Markus; Hofer, Peter (2001): Climate policy needs the forest and the wood. Forest and Wood 3/01, pp. 39-41
e.g. : Volz, Richard; Nauser, Markus; Hofer, Peter (2001): Climate policy needs the forest and the wood. Forest and Wood 3/01, pp. 39-41
e.g. : Thürig Esther, Schmid Stéphanie 2008: Annual CO₂ flows in the forest: Calculation method for the greenhouse gas inventory. J. Forestry. 159 (2008) 2: 31–38
e.g. : Thürig Esther, Schmid Stéphanie 2008: Annual CO₂ flows in the forest: Calculation method for the greenhouse gas inventory. J. Forestry. 159 (2008) 2:31–38
e.g. : Thürig Esther, Schmid Stéphanie 2008: Annual CO₂ flows in the forest: Calculation method for the greenhouse gas inventory. J. Forestry. 159 (2008) 2:31–38
e.g. : Thürig Esther, Schmid Stéphanie 2008: Annual CO₂ flows in the forest: Calculation method for the greenhouse gas inventory. J. Forestry. 159 (2008) 2:31–38