The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
The American Carbon Registry™
Methodology Category
(Specify ARR, IFM, or REDD/Avoided Conversion)
Methodology Title
1
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
A.
METHODOLOGY DESCRIPTION
2
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
A1. SCOPE
Briefly summarize the purpose and scope of the methodology. Which baselines are included and which
are excluded, and which forms of leakage are included and which are excluded?
A2. APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS
Provide a full numbered list of testable requirements for use of the methodology. The list shall include:


Conditions that are required and that if absent would negate the ability of projects to use the
methodology
Conditions that if in existence immediately exclude projects from use of the proposed
methodology
Examples might include physical or biological conditions, potential causes of leakage and sources of
baseline or with-project emissions or sequestration.
3
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
A3. POOLS AND SOURCES
Indicate and justify carbon pools included and excluded. If needed, specify if there are differences in the
baseline and with-project case.
Carbon pools
Included / Optional /
Excluded
Justification / Explanation of choice
Above-ground biomass
carbon
Below-ground biomass
carbon
Dead wood
Harvested wood products
Litter / Forest Floor
Soil organic carbon
Indicate and justify greenhouse gas emission sources included and excluded. If needed, specify if there
are differences in the baseline and with-project case.
Gas
Source
Included / excluded
Justification / Explanation of choice
CO2
CH4
N2O
4
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
Indicate and justify leakage sources included and excluded. If needed, specify if there are differences in
the baseline and with-project case.
Included / Optional
/ Excluded
Leakage Source
Activity-Shifting
Justification / Explanation of choice
Timber Harvesting
Fuelwood
Crops
Livestock
Other
Market Effects
Timber
Fuelwood
Other
5
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
A4. METHODOLOGY SUMMARY
Provide a concise summary, in steps, of the proposed methodology.
6
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
B.
ELIGIBILITY, BOUNDARIES, ADDITIONALITY
AND PERMANENCE
7
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
B1. PROOF OF PROJECT ELIGIBILITY
Demonstrate, with reference to the American Carbon Registry Standard, relevant ACR sector standard,
and Applicability Conditions, that the project activity is eligible and all lands within the project boundary
meet the eligibility requirements. Please consult www.americancarbonregistry.org for currently
governing version of ACR Standard and relevant sector standard (e.g. Forest Carbon Project Standard).
B2. PROJECT GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARY
Provide a detailed description of the geographic boundary of project activities. Note that the project
activity may contain more than one discrete area of land, that each area must have a unique
geographical identification, and that each area must meet the land eligibility requirements of the
relevant ACR sector standard. Include what types of information must be made available, such as maps
and GIS shapefiles, to delineate the project boundary.
B3. PROJECT TEMPORAL BOUNDARY
Describe the temporal boundary of planned project activities. Include requirements for project start date,
crediting periods, baseline renewal and project life, consistent with relevant ACR sector standard.
B4. ADDITIONALITY
All methodologies must require projects to demonstrate how the project meets ACR’s three-pronged
additionality test: beyond regulatory requirements, beyond common practice, and facing at least one of
three implementation barriers (financial, technological, or institutional). Alternately, methodologies may
require projects to demonstrate that the activity is beyond regulatory requirements and exceeds an
approved performance standard.
B5. METHOD OF ASSURANCE OF PERMANENCE
Describe what method of permanence assurance can be used by the methodology:
1. INSURANCE. The methodology must provide a detailed description of the insurance product
proposed.
2. BUFFER. Where this option is selected, the methodology must apply the ACR Tool for AFOLU
Non-Permanence Risk Analysis and Buffer Determination. Prior to the release of the ACR Tool,
the VCS Tool for AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Analysis and Buffer Determination must be used.
8
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
C.
BASELINE
9
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
C1. IDENTIFICATION OF BASELINE
Delineate how the baseline scenario can be determined. This should include requiring why, among
potential baseline candidates, this baseline scenario was chosen. It is allowable for different areas within
the project boundary to contain different baseline scenarios.
C2. BASELINE STRATIFICATION
Describe the required steps for the division of the project area in the baseline case into subpopulations or
strata with lower variation than the entire area. Areas with different baseline scenarios will most likely
be placed in separate strata.
C3. BASELINE NET REMOVALS / EMISSIONS FOR FIXED
BASELINES
Either C3 or C4 must be elected. If C3 is elected, this section must include the steps to calculate CBSL
(Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the baseline scenario up to time
t, in t CO2e) over the crediting period. It should be stated that these steps shall be completed at the start
of the project and shall allow for the baseline to be projected over the crediting period.
C4. BASELINE NET REMOVALS / EMISSIONS FOR MONITORED
BASELINES
Either C3 or C4 must be elected. If C4 is elected, this section must include steps to monitor and calculate
CBSL (Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the baseline scenario up to
time t, in t CO2e) over the crediting period. These steps shall allow the project to monitor the baseline
over the crediting period.
C5. MONITORING REQUIREMENTS FOR BASELINE RENEWAL
Describe what will be monitored over time in order to revise the baseline to apply for future additional
crediting periods. This monitoring may be of components within the project area, in a reference area, or
in neighboring proxy areas.
10
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
C6. ESTIMATION OF BASELINE UNCERTAINTY
Describe the method for calculating baseline UNCBSL (in %).
11
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
D.
WITH-PROJECT SCENARIO
12
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
D1. WITH-PROJECT STRATIFICATION
Describe the steps required for the division of the project area in the with-project case into
subpopulations or strata with lower variation than the entire area.
D2. MONITORING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
Describe the methods that must be used to monitor the geographic project boundary and any legal
changes to land ownership, land tenure, land titles, and other land registry documents. Describe what
monitoring of the implementation of the project must take place. This may include the monitoring of
project activities.
D3. MONITORING OF CARBON STOCKS IN SELECTED POOLS
Describe the methods used to quantify carbon stocks in the selected pools through time.
D4. MONITORING OF EMISSION SOURCES
Describe the methods used to quantify emission sources through time.
D5. ESTIMATION OF PROJECT EMISSION REDUCTIONS OR
ENHANCED REMOVALS
This section must describe the steps required to calculate CP (Sum of the carbon stock changes and
greenhouse gas emissions under the project scenario up to time t, in t CO2e).
D6. MONITORING OF LEAKAGE
Describe the methods used to monitor leakage over time.
D7. ESTIMATION OF EMISSIONS DUE TO LEAKAGE
Describe the methods to calculate CLK (sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions
due to leakage up to time t, in t CO2e).
13
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
D8. ESTIMATION OF WITH-PROJECT UNCERTAINTY
Describe the method for calculating ex-post UNCWP (in %).
14
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
E.
EX-ANTE ESTIMATION
15
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
E1. EX-ANTE ESTIMATION METHODS
Describe the methods that shall be used to create an ex ante projection of net GHG emission reductions
and removals.
16
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
F.
QA/QC AND UNCERTAINTY
17
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
F1. METHODS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE
Describe what the methodology will require for quality assurance.
F2. METHODS FOR QUALITY CONTROL
Describe what the methodology will require for quality control.
F3. CALCULATION OF UNCERTAINTY
The following equation is mandatory for all methodologies:
UNC  UNCBSL  UNCW P
2
2
Where:
UNC
Total project Uncertainty, in %
UNCBSL
Baseline uncertainty, in % (Section C6)
UNCWP
With-project uncertainty, in % (Section D8)
UNC will be set to zero if the project achieves ACR’s precision requirement of within 10% of the mean
with 90% confidence.
18
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
G.
CALCULATION OF ERTs
19
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
G1. CALCULATION OF ERTs
The following equations are mandatory for all methodologies:
C ACR,t  C P  C BSL  C LK  * (1  UNC)
Where:
CACR,t
Total net greenhouse gas emission reductions at time t (t CO2e)
CP
Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the project
scenario up to time t, in t CO2e (Section D4)
CBSL
Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the baseline
scenario up to time t, in t CO2e (Section C3/C4)
CLK
Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions due to leakage up to time
t, in t CO2e (Section D6)
UNC
Total Project Uncertainty, in % (Section F3). UNC will be set to zero if the project meets
ACR’s precision requirement of within 10% of the mean with 90% confidence. If the
project does not meet this precision target, UNC should be the half-width of the
confidence interval of calculated net GHG emission reductions.


ERTt  C ACR ,t2  C ACR ,t1 * 1  BUF 
Where:
ERT,t
Number of Emission Reduction Tonnes at time t = t2 - t1
CACR,t2
Cumulative total net GHG emissions reductions up to time t2
CACR,t1
Cumulative total net GHG emissions reductions up to time t1
BUF
The non-permanence buffer deduction as calculated by the ACR Tool for AFOLU NonPermanence Risk Analysis and Buffer Determination (BUF will be set to zero if an ACR
approved insurance product is used); fraction
20
The American Carbon RegistryTM
Methodology Category / Methodology Title
The American Carbon Registry™
2121 Crystal Drive, Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22202
For questions or comments please contact:
Chief Technical Officer
Nicholas Martin
nmartin@winrock.org
21