Baseline Description

The baseline represents the "before" scenario, reflecting the state of the ecosystem prior to any afforestation activities. Since this methodology is dedicated exclusively to afforestation, only areas where new forests are being established are considered. In such cases, the baseline carbon stock is assumed to be zero, as these areas were previously barren or not historically covered by forests. This baseline serves as the critical reference point for calculating the net carbon benefits of the project and ensuring additionality—demonstrating that carbon sequestration would not have occurred without the afforestation intervention. If methodologies for other activities such as reforestation or revegetation are introduced in the future, their baselines will be developed separately to account for their unique characteristics.

To ensure accurate carbon accounting, any existing forest areas within the proposed project boundary must be excluded. Developers are responsible for identifying and excluding these areas during project planning and submission to ensure the focus remains solely on the establishment or restoration of new forest ecosystems.

2.2.1 Baseline Validation

To validate that the area was non-forested at the baseline period, the following steps are required:

1. Official Certification: Project developers must provide a certificate from the landowner or relevant government authority confirming that the land was not classified as forested during the baseline period. Therefore, project areas must not meet the forest classification criteria as defined by the national forest definition of the host country. Additionally, the land must not consist of natural vegetation types other than forests at the start of project activities. Eligible land types include grasslands, shrublands, degraded lands and deforested land (if permanently converted).
2. Carbontribe Land Cover Analysis: If an official certificate is unavailable, Carbontribe will conduct a land cover analysis using historical remote sensing data. This analysis will verify land use and vegetation cover up to 5 years prior to the baseline period, ensuring that the area meets the eligibility criteria for our projects.