The Envira Amazonia Project a Tropical Forest Conservation Project in Acre, Brazil
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The Envira Amazonia Project A Tropical Forest Conservation Project in Acre, Brazil Prepared by Brian McFarland from: 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (240) 247-0630 With significant contributions from: James Eaton, TerraCarbon JR Agropecuária e Empreendimentos EIRELI Pedro Freitas, Carbon Securities Ayri Rando, Independent Community Specialist A Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard Project Design Document TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER PAGE .................................................................................................................... Page 4 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………..……………. Page 5 GENERAL SECTION G1. Project Goals, Design and Long-Term Viability …………………………….………. Page 6 A. Project Overview 1. Project Proponents 2. Project’s Climate, Community and Biodiversity Objectives 3. Project Location and Parameters B. Project Design and Boundaries 4. Project Area and Project Zone 5. Stakeholder Identification and Analysis 6. Communities, Community Groups and Other Stakeholders 7. Map Identifying Locations of Communities and Project 8. Project Activities, Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts 9. Project Start Date, Lifetime and GHG Accounting Period C. Risk Management and Long-Term Viability 10. Natural and Human-Induced Risks 11. Enhance Benefits Beyond Project Lifetime 12. Financial Mechanisms Adopted G2. Without-Project Land Use Scenario and Additionality ………………..…………….. Page 46 1. Most Likely Land-Use Scenario 2. Additionality of Project Benefits G3. Stakeholder Engagement ……………………………………………………………. Page 51 A. Access to Information 1. Accessibility of Full Project Documentation 2. Information on Costs, Risks and Benefits 3. Community Explanation of Validation Process B. Consultation 4. Community Influence on Project Design 5. Consultations Directly with Communities C. Participation in Decision-Making and Implementation 6. Measures to Enable Effective Participation D. Anti-Discrimination 7. Measures to Ensure No Discrimination E. Feedback and Grievance Redress Procedure 8. Demonstrate Formalized, Clear Grievance Redress Procedure F. Worker Relations 9. Orientation and Training for Project’s Workers 10. Equal Opportunity 11. Laws and Regulations Covering Worker’s Rights 12. Risks to Worker Safety Page | 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS G4. Management Capacity ………………………………………………….…………… Page 67 1. Project’s Governance Structure, Roles and Responsibilities 2. Key Technical Skills 3. Financial Health of Implementing Organization G5. Legal Status and Property Rights …………………………………..……………….. Page 77 A. Respect for Land Rights, Territories and Resources; Free, Prior and Informed Consent 1. Statutory and Customary Rights to Lands 2. Free, Prior and Informed Consent 3. No Involuntary Removal or Relocation 4. Illegal Activities That Could Affect Project’s Benefits 5. Ongoing or Unresolved Conflicts Over Land Rights B. Legal Status 6. List of International, National and Local Laws 7. Approval from Appropriate Authorities 8. Ability to Claim Project’s Generation of Benefits 9. Tradable Benefits and Avoidance of Double Counting CLIMATE SECTION The Climate Section has been waived because the Project is simultaneously being designed, registered and implemented according to the Verified Carbon Standard. GL1. Climate Change Adaptation Benefits ………………………………………...…… Page 90 COMMUNITY SECTION CM1. Without-Project Scenario for Communities …………………………..…………… Page 97 1. Describe Communities 2. Project Zone’s High Conservation Values for Communities 3. Community Changes Under Without-Project Land Use Scenario CM2. Net Positive Community Impacts …………………………………………...…… Page 100 1. Methodology and Assessment of Impacts on Community Groups 2. Measures Needed to Mitigate Negative Impacts on Community Groups 3. Demonstrate Net Well-Being Impacts on Community Groups 4. Demonstrate No High Conservation Values Negatively Affected CM3. Other Stakeholder Impacts ………………………………….……………………. Page 100 1. Identify Potential Positive and Negative Impacts on Other Stakeholders 2. Measures to Mitigate Negative Well-Being on Other Stakeholders 3. Demonstrate No Net Negative Impacts on Other Stakeholders CM4. Community Impact Monitoring ………………………………………….………. Page 103 1. Develop and Implement a Community Impact Monitoring Plan 2. Develop and Implement High Conservation Values Monitoring Plan 3. Disseminate Monitoring Plan Page | 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS GL2. Exceptional Community Benefits …………………………………………..…….. Page 108 1. Demonstrate Project Zone’s Communities Below National Poverty Line 2. Demonstrate Short- and Long-Term Net Positive Community Benefits 3. Identify Risks for Community Members Participation 4. Identify Marginalized and/or Vulnerable Community Groups 5. Demonstrate Project Generates Net Positive Impacts for Women 6. Describe Design and Implementation of Benefit Sharing Mechanism 7. Explain Communication of Benefits, Costs and Risks 8. Describe Project’s Governance and Implementation Structures 9. Demonstrate Project is Developing Local Capacity BIODIVERSITY SECTION B1. Biodiversity Without–Project Scenario ……………………………….……………. Page 111 1. Biodiversity Within Project Zone 2. Evaluate Project Zone’s High Conservation Values 3. Describe Without-Project Land-Use Scenario Effect on Biodiversity B2. Net Positive Biodiversity Impacts …………………………..……………………… Page 119 1. Methodology and Assessment of Impacts on Biodiversity 2. Demonstrate Project’s Net Impact on Biodiversity 3. Measures Needed to Mitigate Negative Impacts on Biodiversity 4. Demonstrate No High Conservation Values Negatively Affected 5. Identify All Species Used by Project and No Invasive Species Used 6. Describe Possible Adverse Effects of Non-Native Species on Project 7. Guarantee No GMOs Used to Generate GHG Emission Reductions 8. Describe Possible Adverse Effects of Chemicals Used for Project 9. Describe Process for Waste Products Resulting from Project Activities B3. Offsite Biodiversity Impacts ………………………………………………...……… Page 121 1. Identify Potential Negative Offsite Biodiversity Impacts 2. Describe Measures Needed to Mitigate Negative Offsite Biodiversity Impacts 3. Evaluate Unmitigated Negative Offsite Biodiversity Impacts B4. Biodiversity Impact Monitoring ……………………………………………………. Page 122 1. Develop and Implement a Biodiversity Impact Monitoring Plan 2. Develop and Implement High Conservation Values Monitoring Plan 3. Disseminate Monitoring Plan GL3. Exceptional Biodiversity Benefits ……………………………..…………………. Page 123 1. Demonstrate Project Zone’s High Biodiversity Conservation Priority 2. Describe Recent Population Trends of Each Trigger Species 3. Describe Measures to Maintain or Enhance Population of Trigger Species 4. Indications of Trigger Species’ Population Trend Appendix A: Bibliography ………………………………………...…………………… Page 129 Appendix B: Acronyms …………………………………………………………..……. Page 135 Appendix C: Stakeholder Identification ………………………………….……………. Page 138 Page | 3 COVER PAGE I. Project Name: The Envira Amazonia Project II. Project Location: Near city of Feijó, State of Acre, Brazil III. Project Proponent: CarbonCo, LLC is the lead Project Proponent, along with Carbon Securities and JR Agropecuária e Empreendimentos EIRELI. CarbonCo’s contact and address is: Brian McFarland, Director CarbonCo, LLC 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America Phone: +1-(240) 595-6883 Email: [email protected] IV. Auditor: Environmental, Services Inc. (ESI) is the auditor. ESI’s contact and address is: Matthew Perkowski, Forestry, Carbon, and GHG Services – Lead Auditor Environmental Services, Inc. 7220 Financial Way, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida, 32256 Phone: +1 (904) 470-2200 Email: [email protected] V. Project State Date, GHG Accounting Period, and Project Lifetime: The Project Start Date is August 2, 2012 with a 10 year GHG Accounting Period and the Project Lifetime is 60 years. VI. Full or Gap Validation: This CCBS Project Design Document relates to full validation. VII. History of CCB Status: This is the initial CCBS Project Design Document submitted for validation. VIII. Edition of CCB Standard Being Used: Third Edition IX. Summary of Expected Climate, Community and Biodiversity Benefits: The Envira Amazonia Project shall reduce deforestation and mitigate the associated greenhouse gas emissions, directly benefit local communities through various projects and programs such as commercializing the collection of medicinal plants and granting land tenure, and the Project shall conserve the Project Area’s rich tropical biodiversity. X. Gold Level Criteria Being Used and Summary of Gold Level Attributes: The Envira Amazonia Project is seeking Gold Level for climate adaptation, along with Gold Level for exceptional community and biodiversity benefits. The Project shall incorporate climate adaptation measures, promote a pro-poor initiative, and conserve several vulnerable tree species along with numerous endemic bird species. XI. Date of Completion of this Version and Version Number: This version, Version 1.0, was completed on October 10, 2014. Page | 4 XII. Expected Schedule for Verification: The Envira Amazonia Project will likely be verified on an annual or biennial basis starting in 2015. INTRODUCTION The Envira Amazonia Project (“Project”) is a payment for ecosystem services forest conservation project, otherwise known as a Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) project, on 39,300.6 hectares or approximately 97,072.5 acres of privately-owned land in Acre, Brazil.1 The total property is 200,000 hectares or approximately