Methodology

Prove, measure, verify

Our methodology rests on three complementary pillars: a proven certification framework (Gold Standard A/R), a rigorous quantification methodology (STARR), and an end-to-end measurement-reporting-verification (MRV) system, from satellite to public registry.

Pillar 01

Gold Standard A/R

Gold Standard is the most demanding framework on the voluntary carbon market, created in 2003 by WWF.

For afforestation and reforestation (A/R) projects, it guarantees three core principles:

Additionality — the sequestration would not have happened without the project.
Permanence — the carbon stays stored over the duration of the crediting period.
Measurement integrity — robust scientific methodology, independent audits, public registry.

GTZ has chosen Gold Standard exclusively for all of its projects.

Pillar 02

STARR

STARR — Standardized Approach for Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation — is the new Gold Standard methodology for ARR projects, succeeding the historical LUF A/R methodology.

It incorporates recent scientific advances in forest inventory, growth modelling and statistical quantification of sequestration.

It is designed to meet the requirements of the next generation of buyers: CORSIA Phase 2 compatibility, alignment with the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles, and compatibility with international transfers under Article 6. We design our projects to this reference framework.

Pillar 03

MRV — Monitoring, Reporting, Verification

The MRV system is the backbone of a carbon project's credibility. It ensures that every tonne of CO₂ claimed has actually been sequestered, measured, verified and tracked.

Our MRV approach combines:

Satellite remote sensing for continuous monitoring of forest cover and disturbance detection.
Permanent ground plots for direct measurement of biomass and growth.
Scientific modelling for the estimation of total carbon stock.
Independent audit by a VVB accredited under Gold Standard.
Public listing of every issued credit on the Gold Standard registry.

The goal: zero blind spots in the verification chain. Every credit must be traceable, verifiable, and beyond challenge.

A methodology in the service of integrity

Each pillar answers one requirement: prove, measure, verify. It is this end-to-end discipline that sets a high-integrity credit apart.