Promoting Sustainable Development through Natural Rubber Tree Plantations in Guatemala

Audit Analysis

This VCS rubber plantation project in Guatemala demonstrates clear financial additionality and has a 10% buffer pool, but is undermined by a reported reversal event (747 tCO2e at Bello Horizonte), an extensive list of material findings and corrective actions, a project-specific baseline, and a CCB validation gap exceeding five years. The verified ERR for the 2016–2022 monitoring period represents roughly 18–22% of the linear pro-rata expectation, which is low even accounting for the non-linear growth curve of rubber plantations. Multiple contradictions across documents and a low extraction confidence level further erode confidence in the data record.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Reversal event: 22.85 ha (747.25 tCO2e) lost at Bello Horizonte due to plantation elimination, with corrective actions still open to resume monitoring
• ⚠CCB verification statement gap of 5 years and 10 months (Nov 2017 to Sep 2023), with documentation found non-conformant with CCB Program rules Sections 4.5.2 and 4.7.2
• ⚠30+ material findings including inconsistencies in planting area data, baseline emissions values, ownership documentation, and grievance mechanism clarity
• ⚠Crediting period was initially set at 20 years and later corrected to 42 years, indicating a fundamental mischaracterisation of project lifetime in the original PDD
• ⚠FSC certification requirement was replaced by the lower-standard CCBS certification, weakening the sustainability assurance framework

Credit Vintages