6.4 Durability and Monitoring
Last updated
Last updated
corresponds to NCS
The start of the project is defined by specific activities to enhance sink performance and by the documented intention to commit.
The project duration is at least 40 years, of which the first 30 years are creditable. The monitoring extends over the entire duration of the project.
The monitoring period is 1 to 5 years.
The project operator commits to maintaining stock above the "normal" wood inventory for the duration of the climate protection project by building up stock and/or guaranteeing not to fall below a certain stock level.
If the project assumptions are based on an inventory, a new inventory must be conducted no later than 15 years (inventory date) later, or 20 years if in the mountains. The deadline can be extended if a re-inventory is conducted within five years of the project's validation according to this method. If the project assumptions are not based on an inventory, such must be conducted within five years.
The reference scenario is checked periodically, but at the latest during the new inventory, for its validity. If it is assumed in the case of extraordinary events such as calamities that the project assumptions are no longer applicable and could affect already issued certificates, the project owner is obliged to report this to the registry organisation so that it can stop the sale of certificates from the project if necessary. The project assumptions are also checked in the event of forest damage that exceeds a year's harvesting rate.
If the new inventory yields lower storage values than reported so far, the respective quantities must be recorded 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 to this method within the framework of monitoring.
Monitoring ensures that the project's accountable sink performance in managed forests is determined ex-post using recognised methods and assessed conservatively.
Project area in hectares is accurate to 0.1 ha, or rounded down to the whole ha value.
Carbon storage as in Chap. .
Credited is the additionally standing living total tree biomass in tCO₂, derived from the standing living timber stock in m3/ha by tree species or tree species groups. In principle, all carbon stocks can be credited using recognised methods. They are all aligned with the inventory of living trees (living tree biomass). The living tree biomass must be recorded. Other stocks can conservatively be excluded from crediting.
Wood stock: The standing wood stock is measured in m3 and converted into tCO₂e of living tree biomass.
Growth: The growth in m3 is converted into tCO₂e of living tree biomass.
Use: The use is calculated during the standing measurement like the stock in m3 and converted into tCO₂e tree biomass
The origin of the data is declared in each case. Stock and growth data come from measured inventories or from model assumptions. The use from marking protocols, operational evidence. The area from operational planning / GIS analysis. Model assumptions from literature.
Sink Performance Sink performance is determined by tree species or tree species groups. Recognised values for the parameters wood density, C content, and biomass expansion must be used in literature.
Utilisation The utilisation can be recorded standing before or lying after the harvest (in the forest or factory survey).
Growth The growth is determined or estimated on the basis of sample inventories. Recognised procedures must be used. In case of estimates, the conservative approach must be taken into account.
Mortality Mortality is not synonymous with the immediate release of the sequestered carbon. Mortality is recorded in the stock change method or within the framework of inventories.
Leakage = Land usage amount in year i of accounting
= sustainable utilisation potential of the land
= Credited forest sink power domestically, sum of all projects, in the monitoring year i to control leakage
If then otherwise %
The monitoring period extends over the entire project duration of at least 40 years. Individual monitoring periods (ex-post) can last between 1 and 5 years. The monitoring is to be maintained throughout the entire project duration.
The project owner ensures that the monitoring is carried out professionally (self-management, programme carrier, external body).
Recognised methods of quality assurance must be guaranteed for the acquisition and processing of the relevant data.
The project owner ensures that the data are stored professionally (self-management, programme carrier, external body).
The project applicant must prepare a greenhouse gas report (monitoring report) and make it available to the intended users. The greenhouse gas report must
identify the intended application and user of the greenhouse gas report and
have a structure and content that meet the needs of the intended user.
Information applicable to multiple projects within a programme can be maintained by the programme organisation and does not need to be collected afresh for each project.
Description of the Parameter
Creditable project area
Unit
Hectares
Data Source
operational planning, land register, etc.
Description of the Parameter
Wood usage amount in the project in the accounting year
Unit
m³
Data Source
Operational accounting, etc.
Description of the Parameter
Operating plan, forestry facility plan, operating report or similar document that contains condition assessment and planning for the forestry operation.
Unit
n/a
Data Source
Owner/Operator
Optional
Description of the parameter
Status of voluntary certification
Unit
n/a
Data source
FSC, PEFC databases, etc.
Required, if no operational plan, no voluntary certification, and no forest development plan present)
Description of the Parameter
Document
Unit
n/a
Data Source
Owner/Operator
Description of the Parameter
In case of newer inventories, the calculation bases must be adjusted, e.g. stock, growth
Unit
n/a
Data Source
Inventory report/owner/operator/other
Description of the Parameter
Total national wood usage amount in the year of accounting (N-Land)
Unit
m³
Data Source
Wood utilisation statistics of the country
Sum of all forest sink performance projects in the country, in the monitoring year (SL-Land)
to control leakage
Description of the Parameter
Projects
Unit
m³
Data Source
Central authority
Description of the Parameter
Must not exceed the value of the potential land usage (minus project sink power) to assume Leakage=0
Unit
m³
Data Source
Calculation, total wood utilisation 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, stocks projected from inventories at 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 country or region specific
Unit
t TS/m³
Data source
Description of the Parameter
to be specified at country or regional level
Unit
tCO₂/m³
Data Source
Description of the Parameter
to be specified country- or region-specific
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 indicated specifically by country or region
Unit
Dimensionless
Data Source
Description of the Parameter
to be specified specific to the country
Unit
Million. m³/year
Data Source
-
If the use is recorded by measurement after harvest (lying measurement, factory measurement), a recalculation is made according to chap. on the standing volume in m3 and tCO₂e living tree biomass.
The sink performance is quantified and described in Chapter .
Timber Reserve The timber reserve is determined by recognised forest inventory methods in m3 of standing merchantable timber. The results are to be documented with an indication of the verifiable accuracy. See Chapter . If the reserve is estimated, the estimation parameters must be recognised and conservatively applied. The timber reserve is recorded by tree species or tree species groups and converted into living tree biomass using recognised factors.
According to Ref. , for example, the productive forest in Switzerland is 1.11 million hectares, of which 10% is excluded from commercial use as reserves in the medium to long term.
Leakage control parameter The total utilisation of the country must not exceed the value of the potential 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 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. Z. Forstwes. 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. Z. Forstwes. 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. E.g. 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. E.g. Forestry. 159 (2008) 2:31–38
e.g., : Conversion of volume without bark into timber volume including bark, Renato Lemm, WSL