Plan Vivo Certification

PLAN VIVO CO2 CERTIFICATION:

The Plan Vivo system is a framework based on using sustainable land by communities in developing countries. Plan Vivo projects and programs deliver long-term carbon storage and other local benefits such as biodiversity and poverty reduction. The system includes a « Plan Vivo Standard » which sets out criteria that each project must respect regarding carbon, subsistence, and ecosystems. Projects are recorded by the Plan Vivo Foundation, which provides independent validation performed according to the standards.

The Plan Vivo System provides a mechanism for communities in developing countries to access funding eco-systemic services. Funds are the catalyst for community action; they serve to strengthen the capacity of communities to protect, restore, and improve the natural and productive ecosystems on which they depend on and they also provide general public goods.

The issuance of these benefits is described by the Plan Vivo certification – A service certification for the environment representing the long-term sequestration of one ton of CO2 adds to environmental and social benefits:

• Conservation of biodiversity through the expansion and strengthening of protected areas and species.
• Poverty reduction and development of sustainable livelihoods through sustainable agriculture and the creation of micro-enterprise.
•  Provision of sustainable bioenergy.
• Adaptation of natural ecosystems to climate change (critical watershed protection, soil stabilization, regional microclimate regulation).