VCS Methodology VM0048 REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION Version 1.0 27 November 2023 Sectoral Scope 14 VM0048, v1.0 Verra developed version 1.0 of this methodology with support from Tim Pearson (Green Collar), Kevin R. Brown (Wildlife Conservation Society), Simon Koenig (Climate Focus), Till Neeff, Sarah M. Walker (Wildlife Conservation Society), Lucio Pedroni (Carbon Decisions International). Manuel Estrada made significant contributions. VM0048, v1.0 CONTENTS 1 SOURCES ............................................................................................................... 1 2 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODOLOGY.................................................... 2 3 DEFINITIONS .......................................................................................................... 4 3.1 Definitions .............................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Acronyms................................................................................................................................ 4 4 APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS ................................................................................... 5 5 PROJECT BOUNDARY .............................................................................................. 5 5.1 Geographic Boundaries .......................................................................................................... 5 5.2 Carbon Pools .......................................................................................................................... 5 5.3 Sources of GHG Emissions...................................................................................................... 6 BASELINE SCENARIO .............................................................................................. 8 6 6.1 Determination of the Most Plausible Baseline Scenario .......................................................... 8 6.2 Projects Implemented in Jurisdictional REDD Programs or Where a Government has Established a REDD Baseline................................................................................................ 10 6.3 Baseline Validity ................................................................................................................... 10 7 ADDITIONALITY .................................................................................................... 11 8 QUANTIFICATION OF GHG EMISSION REDUCTIONS................................................. 11 8.1 Baseline Emissions............................................................................................................... 11 8.2 Project Emissions ................................................................................................................. 12 8.3 Leakage ............................................................................................................................... 12 8.4 Net GHG Emission Reductions .............................................................................................. 13 MONITORING ....................................................................................................... 14 9 10 9.1 Data and Parameters Available at Validation ......................................................................... 14 9.2 Data and Parameters Monitored ........................................................................................... 14 9.3 Description of the Monitoring Plan ........................................................................................ 14 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 18 APPENDIX 1: TESTING SIGNIFICANCE OF GHG EMISSIONS ................................................ 19 DOCUMENT HISTORY ...................................................................................................... 21 VM0048, v1.0 1 SOURCES This methodology is based on the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework v4.0 and the following methodologies: • VM0006 Methodology for Carbon Accounting for Mosaic and Landscape-scale REDD Projects, v2.2 • VM0007 REDD+ Methodology Framework (REDD+ MF), v1.6 • VM0009 Methodology for Avoided Ecosystem Conversion, v3.0 • VM0015 Methodology for Avoided Unplanned Deforestation, v1.1 • VM0037 Methodology for Implementation of REDD+ Ac