In July, we completed the validation and verification audit of various reforestation projects in Uruguay and Argentina under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate Community and Biodiversity (CCB) programs. These include two ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation) projects in northeastern Uruguay and one IFM (Improved Forest Management) project in the Mesopotamian region of Argentina, which are now undergoing technical review by Verra following approval by the auditing body.
For projects in Uruguay, the verification audit for a new monitoring period (2021–2024) has been completed, certifying the project’s effective carbon removal as well as the additional benefits to the community and biodiversity in triple-impact projects. This refers to ” Bosques del Uruguay II” (BDU II) Afforestation through High-Quality Timber in Grasslands Project (ID 2411) and the “Forteko” afforestation on degraded grasslands under extensive grazing project (ID 962), which already have verified and issued carbon credits for previous periods. This audit confirms that the reported profits remain valid and are on the rise.
In the case of the clustered project “Improved Forest Management Project in the Mesopotamia Region of Argentina ” (ID 5402), the audit made it possible to verify compliance with the applicability requirements of the VCS and CCB standards for subsequent registration with VERRA. To remove carbon from the atmosphere, the project proposes extending the rotation period for existing pine plantations to 40 years, more than doubling the typical rotation periods in the region. Along with these practices, the project aims to generate net positive impacts on biodiversity through the management of conservation areas and within the local community through various actions coordinated by the Aike Foundation.
In all cases, ProSustentia works alongside project proponents to develop the project description, monitoring report, and audit process.
Taken together, the projects are expected to remove more than 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂ over their lifetimes and represent a new step forward for nature-based climate solutions in the Southern Cone. In addition to their contribution to climate action, the identified benefits in the areas of formal and informal education, working conditions, biodiversity monitoring, and the conservation of high-value areas demonstrate the potential of forestry projects to generate environmental, social, and productive impacts in an integrated manner.
