RGGI Eligible Sector 3: Sequestration of Carbon Due to Afforestation
Offset projects that sequester carbon through the conversion of land from a non-forested to forested condition may qualify for the award of CO2 emissions offset allowances under RGGI, provided they meet the following requirements.
Eligibility
Eligible offset projects shall occur on land that has been in a non-forested state for at least 10 years preceding the commencement of the offset project.
Eligible offset projects shall be managed in accordance with widely accepted environmentally sustainable forestry practices and designed to promote the restoration of native forests by using mainly native species and avoiding the introduction of invasive non-native species. If commercial timber harvest activities are to occur, certification must be obtained, prior to any harvest activities at the site, through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Institute (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), or such other similar organizations as may be approved by the REGULATORY AGENCY.
Offset Project Descriptions The offset project sponsor shall provide a detailed narrative of the offset project actions to be taken, including documentation that the offset project meets the eligibility requirements of paragraph (1) above. The offset project narrative shall include the following information.
Owner of the land within the offset project boundary;
Detailed map of the land within the offset project boundary and areas adjacent to the offset project boundary;
A copy of the permanent conservation easement required pursuant to paragraph (6) below;
For offset projects located in a state or United States jurisdiction that is not a participating state, a written legal opinion from an attorney licensed to practice in the state where the offset project is located, or from the cooperating regulatory agency, confirming the enforceability of the permanent conservation easement; and
Plant species to be planted or established via natural regeneration, and a forest management plan consistent with the requirements at subparagraph (1)(ii) above.
Emissions Baseline Determination The existing sequestered carbon within the offset project boundary shall be calculated prior to commencement of the offset project. The carbon sequestration baseline shall be determined based on a sum of measurements, made no more than 12 months prior to offset project commencement, of the carbon content of the following carbon pools.
Carbon content shall be calculated for the following required carbon pools:
live aboveground tree biomass;
live belowground tree biomass;
soil carbon; and
dead organic matter, coarse woody debris, unless the baseline measurement for this carbon pool is at or near zero, in which case measurement of this carbon pool during the allocation period is optional.
Carbon content may be calculated for the following optional carbon pools:
live aboveground non-tree biomass; and
dead organic matter, forest floor.
Carbon content shall be calculated individually for each carbon pool within the offset project boundary.
To increase the accuracy of measurement and verification, the area within the offset project boundary shall be divided into subpopulations that form relatively homogenous units. When defining subpopulations, the project sponsor shall consider vegetation and tree species (including existing vegetation and trees and those to be utilized as part of the offset project activity) and site factors (soil type, elevation, slope, age class, and other factors as warranted).
Calculation of sequestered carbon for each carbon pool in each reporting subpopulation shall be based on the following:
CO2 tons = [(A x C/ha)(44/12)] / 0.9072
where:
A = Area in hectares within each reporting subpopulation
C = Carbon content (metric tons of carbon for each carbon pool)
C/ha = Mean carbon content per hectare for each carbon pool
Total carbon contained within the offset project boundary (represented in CO2 tons, calculated pursuant to subparagraph (3)(v) above) shall be calculated as follows:
TCpb = Total carbon content within the offset project boundary (sum of carbon content of all carbon pools in all reporting subpopulations)
TClatb = Sum of carbon content of live aboveground tree biomass in all reporting subpopulations
TClbtb = Sum of carbon content of live belowground tree biomass in all reporting subpopulations
TCs = Sum of carbon content of soil carbon in all reporting subpopulations
TClantb [option] = Sum of carbon content of live aboveground non-tree biomass in all reporting subpopulations
TCdoff [option] = Sum of carbon content of dead organic matter, forest floor in all reporting subpopulations
TCdocwd [mandatory/option, as applicable pursuant to clause (3)(i)(d) above] = Sum of carbon content of dead organic matter, coarse woody debris in all reporting sub-populations.
Each individual carbon pool to be measured must be directly measured using a measurement protocol and sample size that achieves a demonstrated quantified accuracy for the combined carbon pool measurement such that there is 95% confidence that the resulting reported value is within 10% of the true mean. Measurement and sampling practices shall meet the following requirements.
An adequate sample size that meets the requirements of subparagraph (3)(vii) above shall be determined for each subpopulation.
The minimum number of required sampling plots for each subpopulation shall be determined based on the following:
n = (s x 1.960)/(mean x re)2
where:
n = required number of sample plots for each reporting subpopulation
s = standard deviation
mean = mean reported carbon content for the sample population
re = level of sampling error (0.08) to assure a total maximum error of 10% for the 95% confidence interval, which assumes total error due to measurement error of 0.02
Direct measurement procedures shall be consistent with current forestry good practice and the guidance contained in U.S. Department of Energy, Technical Guidelines Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (1605(b)) Program; Chapter 1, Emissions Inventories; Part 1 Appendix: Forestry; Section 3: Measurement Protocols for Forest Carbon Sequestration (March 2006).
Calculating Emissions Reductions Carbon sequestration shall be determined using a base year approach, where the amount of carbon sequestered is measured as a net increase in carbon relative to the base year measurement. Carbon sequestration shall be the amount of net additional carbon sequestered during each reporting period, based upon aggregate carbon uptake and carbon emissions for the sum of carbon pools, relative to the baseline carbon content or the carbon content as of the previous reporting period (if above the baseline carbon content), as applicable. CO2 offset allowances shall be issued based on the amount of net additional carbon sequestered within the offset project boundary during each reporting period, as represented in tons of CO2. Sequestered carbon shall be calculated using a stock-change approach as follows:
NCSt = It – It-1
where:
NCSt = Net carbon sequestered in reporting period t
It = Inventory of carbon stock for all carbon pools in all reporting subpopulations within the offset project boundary in reporting period t
It-1= Inventory of carbon stock for all carbon pools in all reporting subpopulations within the offset project boundary in the reporting period immediately preceding reporting period t.
Except as provided in clause (3)(i)(d) above, each of the carbon pools that were measured as part of the baseline determination must be re-measured using the same methodology, and to the same or better quantified precision consistent with the requirements of subparagraphs (3)(vii) and (viii) above, as that used for the baseline determination.
The net change in each carbon pool’s carbon stock in each reporting subpopulation is calculated by subtracting the baseline carbon stock (or carbon stock at the previous monitoring, if above the baseline carbon content) from the carbon stock at the time of the current monitoring. Determination of carbon stock shall be in accordance with the formulas and procedures in paragraph (3) above.
Net carbon stock change for the offset project is the sum of the net changes in the carbon stock of all applicable pools in all reporting subpopulations within the offset project boundary, less ten percent (10%) to account for potential losses of sequestered carbon. This 10% discount shall not be required, provided the project sponsor retains long-term insurance, approved by the REGULATORY AGENCY, that guarantees replacement of any lost sequestered carbon for which CO2 offset allowances were awarded pursuant to paragraph XX10.7(a)(1) of the RGGI Model.
Monitoring and Verification Requirements Total carbon stock within the offset project boundary shall be calculated not less than every five years. Monitoring and verification is subject to the following requirements.
Monitoring and verification reports shall include data from direct measurement of carbon content for all plots used to determine baseline and reporting period carbon content.
The consistency application shall include a monitoring and verification plan certified by the REGULATORY AGENCY or an independent verifier accredited pursuant to section XX10.6 of the RGGI Model Rule. The monitoring and verification plan shall include the following:
Direct carbon measurement procedures consistent with the requirements at subparagraph (3)(viii) above.
The designation of subpopulations pursuant to subparagraph (3)(iv) above. The determination of the minimum number of sampling plots pursuant to subparagraph (3)(vii) above.
If commercial timber harvest activities have occurred or will occur, assessment of management practices to ensure that the offset project has been or will be managed in accordance with environmentally sustainable forestry practices consistent with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Institute (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), or such other similar organizations as may be approved by the REGULATORY AGENCY.
Carbon Sequestration Permanence The offset project shall meet the following requirements to address permanence of sequestered carbon.
The project sponsor shall place the land within the offset project boundary under a legally binding permanent conservation easement, approved by the REGULATORY AGENCY, that requires the land to be maintained in a forested state in perpetuity.
The conservation easement shall include a requirement that the carbon density within the offset project boundary be maintained at long-term levels at or above that achieved as of the end of the CO2 offset crediting period pursuant to paragraph XX10.3(e)(2) of the RGGI Model Rule.
The conservation easement shall require that the land be managed in accordance with environmentally sustainable forestry practices.
