VAI's project taxonomy categorizes projects with an emphasis on how the emissions reductions or removals are credited, instead of the more common "Sectoral Scope" approach that focuses on where the emissions reductions or removals are taking place. Understanding how projects credit emissions gives users a clearer picture of their impact and claims.
To simplify the ontology, we break it down into four Categories:
- Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU): Nature-based solutions driven by the use of land and ecosystems.
- Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switch (EEFS): Reduce energy consumption or the carbon intensity of the energy supply.
- Renewable Energy (RE): Displace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy.
- Gases Abatement (GA): Avoid or destructGHG emissions from sources (e.g. manufacturing, agriculture, landfills, wastewater treatment plants, utilities, etc.) that are not related to the combustion of fossil fuels.
- Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS): Capture carbon from point-source emissions or the atmosphere, storing it in a durable medium and/or repurposing it for various uses.
|
Category |
Type |
Activity name |
Activity code |
|
Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) |
Ecosystem Conservation (afolu.01) |
Avoided planned deforestation/degradation (REDD) |
afolu.01.01 |
|
Avoided unplanned deforestation/degradation (REDD) |
afolu.01.02 |
||
|
Avoided planned deforestation/degradation (Other) |
afolu.01.03 |
||
|
Avoided grassland conversion |
afolu.01.04 |
||
|
Improved forest management |
afolu.01.05 |
||
|
Ecosystem Creation and/or Restoration (afolu.02) |
Afforestation/reforestation (Conservation) |
afolu.02.01 |
|
|
Afforestation/reforestation (Commercial Harvest) |
afolu.02.02 |
||
|
Wetland restoration |
afolu.02.03 |
||
|
Blue Carbon (afolu.03) |
Mangrove afforestation/reforestation |
afolu.03.01 |
|
|
Avoided planned mangrove deforestation/degradation (REDD) |
afolu.03.02 |
||
|
Avoided unplanned mangrove deforestation/degradation (REDD) |
afolu.03.03 |
||
|
Avoided planned mangrove deforestation/degradation (Other) |
afolu.03.04 |
||
|
Avoided unplanned mangrove deforestation/degradation (Other) |
afolu.03.05 |
||
|
Seagrass/marsh restoration |
afolu.03.06 |
||
|
Regenerative Agriculture (afolu.04) |
Grazing management |
afolu.04.01 |
|
|
Water management |
afolu.04.02 |
||
|
Nutrient management |
afolu.04.03 |
||
|
Low/no-tillage |
afolu.04.04 |
||
|
Cover cropping |
afolu.04.05 |
||
|
Crop rotation |
afolu.04.06 |
||
|
Agroforestry |
afolu.04.07 |
||
|
Pasture restoration |
afolu.04.08 |
||
|
Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switch (EEFS) |
Energy Demand, Domestic/Commercial (eefs.01) |
Efficient heating/cooling |
eefs.01.01 |
|
Efficient lighting |
eefs.01.02 |
||
|
Efficient devices/appliances |
eefs.01.03 |
||
|
Energy Demand, Industrial/Agricultural (eefs.02) |
Improved industrial processes |
eefs.02.01 |
|
|
Waste recovery and recycling |
eefs.02.02 |
||
|
Energy Supply (eefs.03) |
Energy supply efficiency |
eefs.03.01 |
|
|
Grid extension |
eefs.03.02 |
||
|
Waste gas/heat recovery |
eefs.03.03 |
||
|
Fuel switch (Renewable) |
eefs.03.04 |
||
|
Fuel switch (Non-renewable) |
eefs.03.05 |
||
|
Household Devices (eefs.04) |
Improved cookstoves |
eefs.04.01 |
|
|
Solar cookstoves |
eefs.04.02 |
||
|
Household lighting |
eefs.04.03 |
||
|
Household biodigesters |
eefs.04.04 |
||
|
Solar water heaters |
eefs.04.05 |
||
|
Other household energy improvement |
eefs.04.06 |
||
|
Water purification |
eefs.04.07 |
||
|
Water infrastructure |
eefs.04.08 |
||
|
Off-grid solar power |
eefs.04.09 |
||
|
Irrigation systems |
eefs.04.10 |
||
|
Transportation (eefs.05) |
Alternative fuels and infrastructure |
eefs.05.01 |
|
|
Modal shift |
eefs.05.02 |
||
|
Fuel efficiency |
eefs.05.03 |
||
|
Gases Abatement (GA) |
Municipal/Industrial Organic Waste Methane (ga.01) |
Waste diversion |
ga.01.01 |
|
Landfill gas management |
ga.01.02 |
||
|
Manure management |
ga.01.03 |
||
|
Wastewater treatment |
ga.01.04 |
||
|
Extraction Methane (ga.02) |
Mine methane recovery (coal) |
ga.02.01 |
|
|
Mine methane recovery (non-coal) |
ga.02.02 |
||
|
Oil well plugging/methane recovery |
ga.02.03 |
||
|
Industrial Gases (ga.03) |
N2O abatement |
ga.03.01 |
|
|
High GWP refrigerant abatement |
ga.03.02 |
||
|
HFC-23 destruction |
ga.03.03 |
||
|
PFC abatement in manufacturing |
ga.03.04 |
||
|
SF6 abatement |
ga.03.05 |
||
|
HFC peplacement in foam production |
ga.03.06 |
||
|
High ozone-depleting substance destruction |
ga.03.07 |
||
|
Residual and Fugitive Gases (ga.04) |
Cement blend improvement |
ga.04.01 |
|
|
Industrial carbon capture |
ga.04.02 |
||
|
Leak detection and reduction |
ga.04.03 |
||
|
Charcoal kiln enhancement |
ga.04.04 |
||
|
Use of biogenic CO2 |
ga.04.05 |
||
|
Oil recycling |
ga.04.06 |
||
|
Agricultural Gases (ga.05) |
Rice water management |
ga.05.01 |
|
|
Improved cattle feed |
ga.05.02 |
||
|
Fertilizer use reduction |
ga.05.03 |
||
|
Avoidance of pre-harvest burning |
ga.05.04 |
||
|
Renewable Energy (RE) |
Biomass (re.01) |
||
|
Biofuels (re.02) |
Biogas |
re.02.01 |
|
|
Biofuel |
re.02.02 |
||
|
Hydro (re.03) |
Reservoir |
re.03.01 |
|
|
Run-of-river |
re.03.02 |
||
|
Solar (re.04) |
Photovoltaic |
re.04.01 |
|
|
Solar thermal |
re.04.02 |
||
|
Wind (re.05) |
Onshore |
re.05.01 |
|
|
Offshore |
re.05.02 |
||
|
Geothermal (re.06) |
|||
|
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage |
Industrial Utilization (ccus.01) |
Biogenic CO2 (Concrete) |
ccus.01.01 |
|
Atmospheric CO2 (Concrete) |
ccus.01.02 |
||
|
Industrial CO2 (Concrete) |
ccus.01.03 |
||
|
Industrial CO2 (Plastic) |
ccus.01.04 |
||
|
Biochar (ccus.02) |
|||
|
Other CCUS (ccus.03) |
Enhanced Oil Recovery |
ccus.03.01 |
AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND OTHER LAND USE (AFOLU)
Ecosystem Conservation (afolu.01)
HOW: Projects preserve or increase the carbon stock stored in forests and other terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. grasslands) by avoiding their conversion to another land use or by managing them sustainably. The carbon stock can be measured from plant matter, root systems, wood products and/or soil. Projects that avoid deforestation and degradation may use methodologies under the REDD framework in developing countries which often generate many co-benefits on various activities in line with contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ACTIVITIES:
- Avoided planned deforestation/degradation (REDD)
- Avoided unplanned deforestation/degradation (REDD)
- Avoided planned deforestation/degradation (Other)
- Avoided grassland conversion
- Improved forest management
Ecosystem Creation and/or Restoration (afolu.02)
HOW: Projects increase an ecosystem’s carbon stocks by creating and/or restoring terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. forests, grasslands, wetlands, etc.).
ACTIVITIES:
- Afforestation/reforestation (Conservation)
- Afforestation/reforestation (Commercial Harvest))
- Wetland restoration
Blue Carbon (afolu.03)
HOW: Projects maintain or increase the carbon stock of marine and coastal ecosystems (i.e. mangroves, seagrass meadows, and tidal marshes). Projects that avoid mangrove deforestation and degradation may use methodologies under the REDD framework in developing countries which often generate many co-benefits on various activities in line with contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ACTIVITIES:
- Mangrove afforestation/reforestation
- Avoided planned mangrove deforestation/degradation (REDD)
- Avoided unplanned mangrove deforestation/degradation (REDD)
- Avoided planned mangrove deforestation/degradation (Other)
- Avoided unplanned mangrove deforestation/degradation (Other)
Regenerative Agriculture (afolu.04)
HOW: Projects use integrated agricultural practices to maintain or increase the soil quality and its organic content, as a result (e.g. grazing rotation or low-tillage crop production).
ACTIVITIES:
- Improved pasture management
- Water management
- Nutrient management
- Low/no-tillage
- Cover cropping
- Crop rotation
- Agroforestry
- Pasture restoration
NOTE: Project activities that are nature-based and only avoid GHG emissions (e.g. nutrient management, feed switch to reduce enteric methane emissions) are categorized under Agricultural Gases while non-land based activities to avoid GHG emissions (biodigestion of animal waste) are only accounted for under Municipal/Industrial Organic Waste Methane.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND FUEL SWITCH (EEFS)
Energy Demand, Domestic/Commercial (eefs.01)
HOW: Projects reduce the energy consumption, and thus the use of energy of residential, commercial, or institutional buildings through energy efficiency improvements. In these projects, the baseline assumes that all users are already using improved sources of energy (e.g. are connected to a grid or micro-grid).
ACTIVITIES:
- Efficient heating/cooling
- Efficient lighting
- Efficient devices/appliances
Energy Demand, Industrial/Agricultural (eefs.02)
HOW: Projects reduce the energy consumption, and thus the use of fossil fuels, by industrial installations and processes, including commercial agriculture operations.
ACTIVITIES:
- Improved industrial processes
- Waste recovery and recycling
Energy Supply (eefs.03)
HOW: Projects implement measures to make the power supply, at utilities or industrial facilities, less carbon-intensive, thus reducing the GHG emissions associated with energy supply. Proponents may opt to switch to lower-carbon fuels (natural gas) or use a renewable energy source.
ACTIVITIES:
- Energy supply efficiency
- Grid extension
- Waste gas/heat recovery
- Fuel switch (Renewable)
- Fuel switch (Non-renewable)
Household Devices (eefs.04)
HOW: Projects manufacture and distribute devices used by rural households to reduce the use of unimproved fuels (e.g. non-renewable biomass, charcoal, kerosene, etc.) for cooking or boiling water.
ACTIVITIES:
- Improved cookstoves
- Solar cookstoves
- Household lighting
- Household biodigesters
- Solar water heaters
- Water purification
- Water infrastructure
- Off-grid solar power
- Irrigation systems
- Other household energy improvement
Transportation (eefs.05)
HOW: Projects reduce emissions associated with passenger and cargo transportation.
ACTIVITIES:
- Alternative fuels and infrastructure
- Modal shift
- Fuel efficiency
GASES ABATEMENT (GA)
Industrial/Municipal Organic Waste Methane (ga.01)
HOW: Projects avoid or destroy the emissions of methane from the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter.
ACTIVITIES:
- Waste diversion
- Landfill gas management
- Manure management
- Wastewater Treatment
NOTE: If the biogas is used to generate electricity or heat and claims carbon credits for it, it may be combined with Renewable Energy - Biofuels.
Extraction Methane (ga.02)
HOW: Projects avoid or destroy emissions from extractive activities such as those from oil and gas wells and coal and mineral mining. If the gas is utilized, it may be combined with Energy Efficiency and Fuel Switch - Energy Supply.
ACTIVITIES:
- Mine methane recovery (Coal)
- Mine methane recovery (Non-coal)
- Oil Well Plugging/Methane RecoveryOil Well Methane Recovery
Industrial Gases (ga.03)
HOW: Projects avoid and/or destroy emissions from “industrial” gases such as traditional N2O, industrial or fluorinated gases (e.g. PFCs, SF6, NF3, HFCs), and ozone-depleting gases (e.g. CFCs, HCFCs).
ACTIVITIES:
- N2O abatement
- High GWP refrigerant abatement
- HFC-23 destruction
- PFC abatement in manufacturing
- SF6 abatement
- HFC replacement in foam production
- High ozone-depleting substance destruction
Residual and Fugitive Gases (ga.04)
HOW: Projects avoid or destroyresidual carbon emissions. While these activities may not necessarily increase energy efficiency, they reduce the GHG-intensity of the industrial process.
ACTIVITIES:
- Cement blend improvement
- Leak detection and reduction
- Charcoal kiln enhancement
- Use of biogenic CO2
- Oil recycling
Agricultural Gases (ga.05)
HOW: Projects avoid emissions from agriculture operations (e.g. methane from rice production or N2O from fertilizer application).
ACTIVITIES:
- Rice water management
- Improved cattle feed
- Fertilizer use reduction
- Avoidance of pre-harvest burning
NOTE: Livestock manure management is not considered to be land-based and thus is accounted for under Gases Abatement - Industrial/Municipal Organic Waste Methane. If the project maintains or increases soil organic carbon content, it may also be combined with Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use - Regenerative Agriculture.
RENEWABLE ENERGY (RE)
Biomass (re.01)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the grid or gas distribution network. It can be combined with the Gases Abatement - Industrial/Municipal Organic Waste Methane.
ACTIVITIES:
- Agricultural residues (e.g. palm oil waste, rice husk, bagasse, etc.)
- Crops or wood from dedicated plantations
- Organic MSW incineration
NOTE: If the project mitigates emissions from combustion or anaerobic decomposition, it will often be combined with the Gases Abatement Type Organic Waste Methane if it is also receiving credits for the abatement.
Biofuels (re.02)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the grid, gas distribution network, or as fuel in transportation or stationary generators. It is often combined with organic waste methane abatement.
ACTIVITIES:
- Landfill gas energy
- Biogas from wastewater treatment plants
- Waste oil/fat-based fuels
NOTE: If the project mitigates methane emissions, it will often be combined with the Gases Abatement project type Organic Waste Methane if it is also receiving credits for the abatement.
Hydro (re.03)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the electric grid.
ACTIVITIES:
- Dam/reservoir hydroelectric plants
- Run-of-river hydroelectric plants
Solar (re.04)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the electric grid.
ACTIVITIES:
- Solar photovoltaic
- Solar thermal
Wind (re.05)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the electric grid.
ACTIVITIES:
- Onshore wind power
- Offshore wind power
Geothermal (re.06)
HOW: Project generates energy that displaces fossil fuel use on-site or downstream through the electric grid.
ACTIVITIES:
- Dry steam
- Flash cycle
- Binary cycle
CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE (CCUS)
Industrial Utilization (ccus.01)
HOW: Project use carbon in industrial processes, storing it in its products. The source of the carbon and the product in which they are stored are important determinants for these types of projects.
ACTIVITIES:
- Biogenic CO2 (Concrete)
- Atmospheric CO2 (Concrete)
- Industrial CO2 (Concrete)
- Industrial CO2 (Plastic)
Biochar (ccus.02)
HOW: Organic materials (agricultural waste, wood and wood waste, etc.) are pyrolyzed or heated in the absence of oxygen through, resulting in a stable form of carbon that can be used as a soil amendment, stormwater management, water filtration, etc.
Other CCUS (ccus.03)
HOW: Encompasses other, less common, ways in which carbon can be captured and utilized.
ACTIVITIES:
- Enhanced oil recovery