Indicator Species Biodiversity

In short

Measures biodiversity outcomes by tracking indicator species and habitat quality over the project area.

What it is

CBCP-01 is the Indicator Species Biodiversity methodology approved under Cercarbono's Biodiversity Certification Programme, the first biodiversity methodology in Cercarbono's framework and based on the Savimbo Indicator Species Biodiversity Methodology. It measures conservation of intact regional biodiversity by monitoring indicator species and habitat quality using non-invasive techniques such as camera traps, photographs, and audio recordings. A biodiversity credit under this methodology represents 30 days of one hectare of protected ecosystem, with a value set by the baseline ecosystem and the presence and integrity score of a qualifying indicator species.

What it rewards

The reward is a credit called a Cercarbono Biodiversity Credit (CBC). One credit stands for a measured indicator-species score for the area. A verified, nature-positive biodiversity outcome. A whole period of work is issued as one batch of credits at a time, in the same way a registry issues a batch.

What gets measured

To earn CBC credits, a project has to measure and prove a few things. An independent reviewer checks the evidence before any credits are issued.

• Indicator-species monitoring. Non-invasive detection of indicator species evidences ongoing conservation.

• Habitat quality. Habitat condition supports the intact-ecosystem claim.

• Non-invasive evidence media. Camera traps, photographs and audio recordings are the accepted evidence.

• Integrity score & threat. Score set by baseline ecosystem and species integrity / threat.

• Reference benchmark comparison. Indicators are read against a reference benchmark over the area.

Who takes part

• Standard Registry. Owns the policy, approves participants, anchors each issuance to its evidence.

• Project Proponent. Registers the project and submits monitoring reports.

• Validation & Verification Body. Independently validates the design and verifies monitored data.

How it works

1. 1

   The project team registers the project and its plan.

2. 2

   An independent reviewer checks that the plan is sound and that the benefit is real and would not have happened anyway.

3. 3

   The team looks after the site and measures the agreed indicators over time.

4. 4

   The independent reviewer verifies those measurements.

5. 5

   Credits are issued for the verified result, and a buyer can retire a credit to claim the benefit once.