Question 1

What does "REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)" mean in the carbon market?

Accepted Answer

Projects that protect standing forests facing a demonstrable threat of clearing or degradation. These are avoidance credits: they prevent emissions rather than removing CO₂ already in the atmosphere. REDD+ is one of the largest and most closely examined parts of the voluntary market. Its integrity turns almost entirely on the baseline, meaning the deforestation that would have happened without the project, and several older methodologies were found to have set that reference too high. The response has been consolidated methodologies using jurisdictional or dynamic baselines drawn from comparable control areas, alongside tighter leakage accounting and stronger community safeguards. Buyers considering REDD+ should look at the methodology version, how recently the baseline was reset, and what independent raters conclude, rather than treating the whole category as a single quality tier.

Question 2

Why does REDD+ matter when buying carbon credits?

Accepted Answer

REDD+ is one of the largest and most closely examined parts of the voluntary market. Its integrity turns almost entirely on the baseline, meaning the deforestation that would have happened without the project, and several older methodologies were found to have set that reference too high. The response has been consolidated methodologies using jurisdictional or dynamic baselines drawn from comparable control areas, alongside tighter leakage accounting and stronger community safeguards. Buyers considering REDD+ should look at the methodology version, how recently the baseline was reset, and what independent raters conclude, rather than treating the whole category as a single quality tier.

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

Why REDD+ matters for carbon credit buyers

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