Conservation and reforestation of degraded areas in Barbosa, Colombia

Audit Analysis

This Gold Standard A/R project in Barbosa, Colombia has VVB-confirmed additionality and quantified leakage, but suffers from significant permanence gaps (no buffer pool stated, reversal risk unaddressed), multiple material findings including loss of 11.3 ha of Guadua angustifolia, and a project-specific baseline. The project delivered roughly 84% of its ex-ante carbon estimate for the monitoring period, and three corrective actions were required by the verifier.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠No buffer pool percentage stated in any available document, leaving permanence risk for this A/R project unmitigated
• ⚠Reversal events explicitly 'not addressed' in the verification report despite 11.3 ha of Guadua angustifolia dying from incorrect site establishment
• ⚠FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) was not conducted, a significant safeguards gap for a community-adjacent reforestation project
• ⚠Biodiversity monitoring and groundwater monitoring were not executed due to financial constraints, undermining the sustainability claims in the PDD
• ⚠Crediting period differs between the 2019 verification report (2014–2044) and the 2021 verification report (2011–2050), raising questions about the validity of the original registration
• ⚠Buffer pool size not disclosed in available documents

Credit Vintages