Carbon Integrity
Emissions reductions are additional, measurable and conservative under VM0015 v1.2 – aligned with next-generation VM0048 methodology.
Permanence
Project governance, legal standing and community buy-in assessed as providing durable protection beyond the 40-year crediting period.
Additionality
Deforestation risk independently validated via jurisdictional risk mapping covering 19% of mainland Tanzania.
Clear Path to ex-post A–AA rating
The sole factor constraining the rating below A is market risk. A long-term offtake agreement directly resolves this, with the potential to trigger an upgrade to A–AA or higher.
From local community-led forestry in Tanzania to Global Confidence
The Village Climate Solutions REDD+ Project has achieved an independent third-party Pre-Issuance Rating of A–BBB, with a clear pathway to A–AA, reflecting strong project integrity and robust carbon accounting.
The rating was conducted by Sylvera, a leading independent carbon credit ratings agency, providing trusted assessments of project quality and credibility for investors and buyers.
The evaluation confirms that the project applies a conservative and rigorous baseline framework aligned with VM0048, supported by:
Baseline assumptions and initial carbon stock estimates are conservative, and emissions quantification approaches are methodologically robust.
The project demonstrates strong additionality across regulatory, common practice, and financial dimensions. Conservation at this scale is neither mandated nor widely practiced in the region and would not be financially viable without carbon revenues.
Non-permanence risk is assessed as moderate, primarily driven by anthropogenic factors, including dependence on sustained carbon revenues. These risks are transparently identified and effectively addressed within the project design.
Overall, the rating affirms that the project delivers credible, high-integrity emission reductions, grounded in conservative assumptions, robust methodologies, and strong technical foundations, exemplary community incentives built on opportunity cost, with a clear pathway to achieving an A–AA rating following targeted long term offtake agreement.
Read more:
Why VCSP is VM0048-Ready
Community-led forest and farm solutions generating climate finance, supporting biodiversity, and resilient livelihoods
