Empowering Local Communities with OFP: How Projects Can Generate High Value Carbon Credits

Open Forest Protocol was built for the communities on the front lines of climate action. Nature has never been more valuable or conservation more necessary, and the people putting in the work on the ground need to be at the center of each solution brought to the table.

Built to address the core problems plaguing the voluntary carbon market, including more equitable access to the voluntary carbon market, OFP is made to support those shepherding our natural areas around the globe. Almost a year ago, we released our ARR (afforestation, reforestation, regeneration) carbon methodology and explored what it means to be a project within the OFP platform. We are proud to offer any local community or project the chance to generate high value carbon credits, entering a global market with transparency and integrity.

Recently, a fresh evaluation from Renoster ratings agency concerning the OFP ARR ?methodology highlighted key elements that will be pertinent for the future of the Voluntary Carbon Market. Our systems are crafted with intention and precision to deliver this as a reality for both projects and off takers worldwide through the following features:

1. ?? Immutable and Transparent Data Upload Every piece of forest data is uploaded to OFP’s blockchain-based platform, making the data fully immutable and available for stakeholders to verify in real-time, ensuring the highest level of trust. Data can be uploaded easily by project operators from the field with the OFP mobile app. Intuitive and simple to use, we remove any barriers concerning technology access.
2. ?? A Unique Verification System The verification system on Open Forest Protocol is built to remove conflicts of interest, with 30+ third-party validation entities from around the world providing an independent analysis on any given data upload. Validators on OFP play a critical role, diligently verifying and challenging the accuracy of data uploaded to the protocol by the Project Developers. As the core nodes of Open Forest Protocol's network, validation on OFP is designed to accurately evaluate the real-world state of a natural asset, every single year.
3. ?? Stringent Project Standards The OFP ARR methodology was crafted intentionally with stringent project requirements to ensure impact on the ground and accurate creation of high integrity and high quality carbon credits. Some stand-out features of our project criteria include:

• Trees may not be planted on land that had been deforested at any time in the 10 years prior to the project.
• Projects must consist of mostly native tree species. Non-native species may only be planted with specific exceptions (like soil regeneration or food-bearing trees).
• Projects may not plant monocultures.
• Projects may not harvest their trees.
• Contract length must be a minimum of 40 years.
• Carbon quantification is done through robust field inventories that are made public, and conducted at frequent intervals (every 6 months for the first 2 years, then annually).

Read our full methodology here

4. ?? Accessible Technology for All Access to cutting-edge digital measurement, reporting, and verification (dMRV) tools and high-value carbon credit generation is now in the hands of any sized forest project around the world, built to empower communities. Payments and any carbon credits generated are received directly by the projects themselves, cutting out unnecessary and draining third-party intermediaries. Impact on the ground gets tangibly rewarded, and incentives to invest in sustainable practices are increased. Through the OFP mobile app and ease of data uploads, this system allows projects to make their own frequent measurements, which are then reviewed by Validators. Bypassing classic lengthy systems of verification, efficiency, and scalability are inherent.

5. ?? Carbon Accounting Transparency Through OFP, carbon accounting becomes transparent and straightforward, allowing projects to showcase their impact while giving off-takers confidence in the validity and accuracy of their credits. We are proud to be a blockchain-based protocol, ensuring transparency and immutability. Built on NEAR Protocol, a highly scalable blockchain with very low energy use, integrity is built into the protocol. Anyone can view the lifecycle of a carbon credit from inception to retirement on-chain. Forest management plans, and OFP’s eligibility analysis, which includes answers to questions such as land tenure, site survey data, regulatory requirements, and other elements typically found in project description documents, will soon be viewable on the Atlas Explorer interface, making this data already stored and created on the blockchain more accessible to the public.

At Open Forest Protocol, we are proud to be paving the way for a more transparent, inclusive, and efficient carbon market. As we continue to innovate, our ARR framework stands as a testament to the future of carbon credits and the possibilities of a scalable VCM. We welcome any forest project of any size to get in touch with us!

With no upfront cost to generate high quality carbon credits on a scalable platform, our system is designed to work for small and large projects alike.

View over 200 projects now registered to the OFP Atlas Explorer, a blockchain-based interface to showcase a forest projects data upload, sample plots, validation decision, and carbon data: https://atlas.openforestprotocol.org/