To ensure a high level of integrity, quality and transparency in the new emerging market for biodiversity credits, the Plan Vivo Foundation has developed a new standard for this in recent years. ZeroMission has a long-standing relationship with Plan Vivo, an organization that has been certifying projects in the voluntary market for the purchase of carbon credits since 1997, and has been part of the reference group during the development of the new standard.

Unlike the voluntary carbon credit market, these biodiversity certificates are not offsets, but designed to give landowners and communities positive incentives to protect and restore important ecosystems. Under the standard, two types of biodiversity certificates will be issued:

1. Restoration certificates generated by restoring damaged ecosystems.
2. Conservation certificates generated by conserving areas of significant biodiversity.

Annual measurements in the projects are made using digital tools, such as sound measurements and cameras. Analysis is done through machine learning systems and human specialists. To ensure the quality of PV Nature, the standard has been tested with seven pilot projects over a period of 2 years. These have been internally reviewed by members of Plan Vivo, who oversaw the process from full application to the Biodiversity Action and Monitoring Plan, as well as to the social and community aspects of the projects.

Why a biodiversity standard?

There are many initiatives to finance biodiversity protection, both among private actors and large forest companies. But among these, there is a wide variation in how measurements are made and what actions should be taken and when. Nor have there been guidelines on how best to quantify biodiversity inventories. The existence of a standard that clarifies these mechanisms makes it easier for project developers to get their projects certified, and provides certainty for credit buyers.

Projects in Sweden

ZeroMission has started a collaboration with a Swedish project for the protection of mountain forests with high natural values. The project covers an area of 67 hectares and has a rich flora and fauna with many red-listed species and is intended to be the first project in Sweden to be certified in accordance with PV Nature.

"The launch of PV Nature marks the beginning of a new chapter in our partnership with Plan Vivo. This standard will allow companies and organizations to focus their efforts on biodiversity conservation, which is of the utmost importance for many reasons and also benefits the climate in the long run."

- Henrik Juhlin, CEO of ZeroMission

Please contact us directly if you want to know more about PV Nature.