Verra's ARR Methodology Update and Gold Standard's New SOC Module
This article is an automatically translated version of the original Japanese article. Please refer to the Japanese version for the most accurate information.
This is a newsletter from Sustainacraft Inc.
Methodology Updates is a series that covers carbon and biodiversity credit methodologies. This article addresses two updates. First, we explain the main changes and impacts of a minor update to Verra's ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation) methodology, VM0047 v1.1, which was published in May 2025. A key feature of this revision is the explicit inclusion of changes targeting projects that promote the regeneration of existing vegetation (Assisted Natural Regeneration). Second, we introduce a newly released Gold Standard SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) methodology module for increasing SOC by spreading orchard biomass residues.
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Updates to Verra ARR Methodology VM0047
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- Verra Publishes Minor Revision of ARR Methodology, VM0047 (Accessed June 25, 2025)
In May 2025, Verra published a minor update (v1.1) to VM0047, one of its key Methodologies for ARR projects. This revision aims to encourage the formation of more ARR projects by expanding the project's scope of application and increasing monitoring flexibility. VM0047 has been introduced in past newsletters, so please refer to them as well.
This revision specifically strengthened support for the restoration of degraded forests and small-scale afforestation projects. Below, we explain the four main changes, their before-and-after content, and their impact on Project Developers.
1. Permitting Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) Activities in Existing Forests
- Before (v1.0): Under the Methodology's applicability conditions, project activities on land with existing forests were limited. When adopting an Area-based approach, it was necessary to generate continuous forest cover of 1 ha or more, and the interpretation of activities in areas with many existing trees was unclear. Furthermore, when adopting a Census-based approach, ANR (Assisted Natural Regeneration) type activities were explicitly prohibited, with only direct afforestation being eligible (refer to the section below for Area-based and Census-based).
- After (v1.1): Project activities, such as ANR, can now be implemented even on land with existing forests. However, a condition is that the forest has not been managed for timber products, nor has any timber harvesting occurred, in the 10 years prior to the project start.
- Impact: This change is a tailwind for projects aiming to restore degraded forests. Not only pure new afforestation but also projects that utilize existing ecosystems and promote their recovery (e.g., removal of invasive alien species, assistance for natural regeneration through soil improvement) can now be eligible for Credit Issuance. This allows Project Developers to plan ARR projects on a wider variety of land, fostering the creation of high-quality forest restoration projects that also contribute to Biodiversity conservation.