Teravent
Nature-Based
Carbon Standard
Governing standard for nature-based carbon removal and avoidance projects - from afforestation and blue carbon to peatland restoration and improved forest management - registered under the Teravent Carbon Registry.
TNS v1.0 governs nature-based carbon projects that sequester or avoid emissions through biological systems - forests, soils, wetlands, coastal ecosystems, and grasslands - at all scales from smallholder farms to jurisdictional landscapes.
This Standard is wholly independent. It does not incorporate by reference, adopt, or depend upon any external carbon crediting programme, registry, standard-setting body, or methodology framework. All requirements are self-contained within this document and its eight methodology Annexes.
TNS v1.0 issues Teravent Nature Credits (TNCs) - verified units representing one tonne of CO₂ equivalent removed from or not released to the atmosphere through a registered nature-based project.
Permanence Classification
Every Teravent Nature Credit (TNC) carries a permanence class encoding the expected durability of its biological carbon storage.
Soil organic carbon and short-rotation agricultural systems subject to natural decomposition cycles and management reversals.
Forest biomass and long-lived ecosystem carbon stores subject to fire, drought, pest, and land-use-change risk over multi-decadal horizons.
Eight Governing Modules
TNS v1.0 is structured across eight self-contained modules that together constitute a complete, wholly independent crediting framework for nature-based carbon removal and avoidance.
Governance & Scope
TSA issuing authority, eight-pathway eligibility table with Annex references, full 25-term definitions glossary including TNC definition, exclusions covering double counting, illegal activities, and FPIC failures.
Additionality & Baseline
Three-test additionality framework: regulatory surplus, financial additionality, and common practice. Baseline scenario selection, baseline carbon stock quantification, dynamic baseline update rules, crediting period table for all eight pathways, and permanence risk classification.
Quantification & MRV
Spatial accounting boundary requirements (5 m GPS accuracy), five-pool carbon assessment table, activity-shifting and market leakage frameworks, uncertainty deduction table (0–50% CI ranges), monitoring plan requirements, and VVB independence and rotation rules.
Carbon Durability & Non-Permanence
Two permanence classes (Biological and Ecological), Teravent Buffer Pool mechanics, buffer contribution rates by class and NPRR, reversal event notification within 30 days, force majeure provisions, and progressive buffer release for high-performing projects.
Environmental & Social Safeguards
Do No Harm principle, Biodiversity Impact Assessment, native species preference, water and soil requirements, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), community benefit sharing, gender and equity provisions, labour standards, and independent grievance mechanism.
Validation & Certification
Eight-stage registration process from Project Concept Note through ongoing verification. Full PDD requirements including BIA, FPIC, and CBS mechanism. Three certification tiers: Standard, Premium, and Frontier. Small project grouping rules for under-200 ha portfolios.
Credit Issuance & Labelling
TNC serial number structure with pathway code, country, project ID, and vintage. Net TNC issuance formula. Full credit metadata specification. Five co-benefit quality labels: Biodiversity+, Water+, Livelihoods+, Gender Equity+, and Indigenous Stewardship.
Registry, Retirement & Claims
Teravent Carbon Registry structure and public disclosure requirements, four account types, four permitted claim types including carbon neutral and net zero contribution, double counting prevention, standard review and versioning, and sanctions and independent appeals.
8 Nature-Based Pathways
Each pathway has a dedicated methodology Annex defining eligibility, carbon pool measurement, leakage factors, non-permanence risk, and pathway-specific monitoring indicators.
Afforestation, Reforestation & Revegetation (ARR)
New tree cover on degraded land, reforestation of cleared forest, native species revegetation, assisted natural regeneration, and commercial plantations with carbon co-benefits.
Agroforestry
Deliberate integration of trees within agricultural and pastoral systems - silvopasture, alley cropping, homegardens, riparian buffer strips, and windbreaks.
Agriculture & Soil Carbon
Soil organic carbon enhancement through cover cropping, reduced or no-till farming, compost and organic matter application, crop rotation, and grassland restoration to permanent pasture.
Ecosystem Restoration
Active restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems including riparian and floodplain systems, savanna and grassland, dryland, and upland forest - using reference ecosystem approaches.
Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Protection
Avoided deforestation, avoided ecosystem conversion, protected area management, and indigenous and community land stewardship - with spatial threat modelling and 20–40% market leakage deductions.
Blue Carbon
Mangrove restoration and conservation, seagrass meadow restoration, salt marsh restoration, and tidal wetland conservation. Sediment carbon to 100 cm depth with CH₄ and N₂O flux accounting.
Peatland & Wetland Restoration
Peatland rewetting, paludiculture on rewetted peatlands, avoided peat drainage, and freshwater wetland restoration. Water table depth proxy for CO₂ emission factors with CH₄ deduction.
Improved Forest Management (IFM)
Extended rotation forestry, reduced-impact logging, conversion from conventional to sustainable forestry, and wildfire risk reduction - with harvested wood product accounting and market leakage assessment.
Teravent Nature Credits (TNC)
Every credit carries a unique serial number, permanence class, pathway, and a verified co-benefit profile - all permanently recorded in the Teravent Carbon Registry.
Annex Index
Eight methodology annexes, each defining eligibility, carbon pool quantification, additionality, leakage factors, non-permanence risk, and monitoring indicators for a specific nature-based pathway.
| Annex | Pathway | Carbon Mechanism | Crediting Type | Class | Crediting Period | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Afforestation, Reforestation & Revegetation (ARR) | Biomass and SOC accumulation | Removal | II | 30 yr + 2×20 | ARR-M01–05 |
| B | Agroforestry | Tree biomass + SOC in integrated systems | Removal | II | 20 yr + 3×20 | AGF-M01–05 |
| C | Agriculture & Soil Carbon | Soil organic carbon enhancement | Removal | I | 10 yr, renewable | ASC-M01–05 |
| D | Ecosystem Restoration | Ecosystem biomass and soil recovery | Removal | II | 30 yr + 2×30 | ECO-M01–04 |
| E | Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Protection | Avoided deforestation / ecosystem conversion | Avoidance | II | 30 yr, renewable | BIO-M01–05 |
| F | Blue Carbon | Coastal sediment and biomass carbon | Removal | II | 30 yr + 2×30 | BLC-M01–04 |
| G | Peatland & Wetland Restoration | Avoided peat oxidation; peat carbon maintenance | Avoidance | II | 30 yr + 2×30 | PTL-M01–04 |
| H | Improved Forest Management (IFM) | Enhanced forest carbon stocks via harvest deferral | Avoidance | II | 30 yr + 2×20 | IFM-M01–04 |
Register a Nature-Based Project
Submit a Project Concept Note to the Teravent Standards Authority before commencing PDD development. Small projects under 200 ha may apply under the grouped project provisions.