BLUE CARBON PROJECT GULF OF MORROSQUILLO “VIDA MANGLAR”

Audit Analysis

The Vida Manglar blue carbon project in Colombia demonstrates a functional VCS ALM structure with a 14% buffer pool, no reversal events, and confirmed additionality by AENOR. However, a significant leakage contradiction (0% in the validation report versus 15% in the PDD), the use of a CDM Tool instead of the required VMD0052 positive list for additionality, and 14 outstanding corrective actions—including calculation errors in the carbon estimation spreadsheet—materially weaken confidence in the integrity and claim safety of the credits.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Leakage deduction contradiction: the PDD (2021-04-07) proposed a 15% leakage deduction, but the validation report (2021-04-08) accepted 0%; the verification report later describes the justification as 'quantified' without reconciling the 15% figure, creating uncertainty about whether leakage was properly accounted for.
• ⚠Additionality demonstration relied on a CDM Tool rather than the VMD0052 positive list required by the VCS methodology, as flagged in the verification report's material findings.
• ⚠Calculation errors were identified in the carbon estimation spreadsheet and required corrective action, raising questions about the accuracy of reported ERR figures.
• ⚠The Benefit Sharing System was described as 'under construction' and deferred to future verifications, meaning community benefit commitments were not yet operational at the time of verification.
• ⚠Additionality test type is inconsistent across documents: the validation report (2021-04-08) records a 'barrier' test while the verification report (2021-05-06) records a 'combined' test.

Credit Vintages