Climate mitigation project guidance

This climate mitigation project guidance was developed to provide support for landscape initiatives using LandScale in attracting corporate funding through the implementation of high-integrity climate mitigation projects, whether within or beyond the value chain.

The guidance outlines clear, actionable themes, principles, and steps to help initiatives build institutional and technical capacity and gain access to corporate funding through high-integrity action. It addresses common questions regarding the development of climate mitigation projects, including:

1. How can climate interventions be embedded in the landscape context, and how should initiatives differentiate between corporate claim pathways?

2. How can stakeholders and communities be engaged to improve carbon outcomes, maximize co‑benefits, and reduce risks?

3. How can the feasibility, cost, and commercial potential of climate interventions be assessed?

4. How should an appropriate monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) approach be selected, and what trade-offs should be considered?

5. Which standards, implementation partners, and funding sources are most relevant for climate mitigation projects, and how can they be leveraged?

By outlining the characteristics of high-quality climate mitigation projects, the guidance reflects many of the core principles of effective landscape initiative design. Its added value is a dedicated climate mitigation and carbon lens, offering targeted guidance to support informed decision-making when collaborating with third parties to develop projects within landscapes.

Access the guidance

The climate mitigation project guidance was developed in partnership with 3Keel. Download the guidance below to learn more:

17MB

v1.1 LandScale Guidance on Engaging with Climate Mitigation Projects.pdf

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Alongside the development of the guidance, we hosted a webinar with support from 3Keel to walk through the key themes and answer participant questions. Watch the recording below:

Using the guidance

The guidance is structured around five themes, each with associated principles, to guide landscape initiatives collaborating with third parties on climate mitigation projects. Each theme is designed to support informed decision-making and the development of high-quality, impactful projects at scale.

The five themes are outlined below:

Theme 1: The landscape context and supply chain connections

Principle 1: Design projects within the landscape context.

• Understand local needs and challenges, assess feasibility, develop a Theory of Change.

• Consider the topography and ecosystems within the landscape.

• Ensure projects meet community and landscape needs as well as carbon outcomes.

Principle 2: Consider the preferred claim pathways for carbon reductions and removals, given the landscape and traceability context.

• Understand supply chain activity and traceability within the landscape context.

• Identify the right claims pathway.

• Identify traceability, spatial boundaries, and the role of certification for insetting projects.

Theme 2: Stakeholder engagement for better carbon outcomes

Principle 1: Empower local communities as agents of change to ensure long-term integrity.

• Engage local communities prior to project design.

• Ensure capacity is available for a long-term commitment to collaboration and dialogue, including appropriate safeguards (e.g., conflict management and grievance processes).

• Design a benefit sharing framework for the project.

Principle 2: Benefit sharing should be transparent and collaborative.

• Design a benefit sharing framework for the project.

Theme 3: Feasibility, cost, and commercial potential of carbon interventions

Principle 1: Involve local stakeholders in project cost discussions to enhance project feasibility and longevity.

• Provide clarity to potential funders on costs and demonstrate value creation for multiple actors across multiple metrics.

• Balance benefits and costs.

• Consider opportunities for capital stacking (e.g., blended finance).

• Review land rights.

Theme 4: Identifying partners and approaches to developing climate projects

Principle 1: Where possible, seek partners and scale up for impact.

• Identify possible opportunities for collaboration.

• Collaborate for impact, scale, and cost efficiency.

Principle 2: Follow an existing structured design path for any new carbon intervention.

• Where available, existing design paths can support robust project structures.

Theme 5: Requirements for robust MRV

Principle 1: MRV systems must be flexible, transparent, and locally led.

• Establish foundational principles of the MRV system.

• Ensure flexibility and adaptive management.

Principle 2: MRV systems must be robust, demonstrating to investors that relevant technical and operational considerations have been accounted for.

• Select and engage with robust MRV providers.

Principle 3: Ensure verification and claim integrity.

• Decide whether third-party verification is necessary.

• Apply a robust claims allocation process.

Principle 4: MRV should reflect the full value of landscape initiatives.

• MRV should address a range of project metrics.

To learn how LandScale can support you and your corporate partners in communicating about your climate mitigation projects, please contact your usual team representative or reach out to us at [email protected].