The Global Conservation Standard - The Plus in REDD

Land-use based Conservation Credits for the Voluntary Markets

The Global Conservation Standard was developed on behalf of the UK-based Carbon Credited Farming plc. (CCF).

CCF is the GCS Administrator, and biocarbon consult acts as the GCS Oversight Organization.

As different from all other carbon standards, the Global Conservation Standard is based on carbon stocks, not flows. It is setting a structured and transparent approach to the conservation of natural areas worldwide. Using a simple methodology, it is designed to extract value from the forestry projects quickly and efficiently. These credits can come to market quicker, stop deforestation sooner and therefore have the impact that the carbon markets were created for....now!

Natural forests, besides being home to half of all terrestrial animal and vegetative species in the world, are huge carbon reservoirs. With their role in the carbon cycle, they are in effect a critical environmental asset and a massive producer of oxygen and other environmental services. In the tropics, natural forests in many cases are more worth dead than aive.. Opportunity costs for cattle, soy beans and palm oil drive deforestation.

Nevertheless, GCS also helps conserve other natural areas, like non-forest peat swamps or grassland, which may also contain high carbon stocks and be a home to a large biodiversity.

The Global Conservation Standard gives landowners a source of income for conserving their natural patrimony. Buyers of GCS credits take over stewardship for the vegetation and its environmental services provided local livelihoods and mankind. The contract between landowner and CCF ideally determines a permanent protection status under national legislation. Minimum project duration is 30 years.

→Download a presentation on the Global Conservation Standard (1.5 MB)