This report examines approaches used by existing and evolving offset programs to facilitate offset project aggregation. It focuses on major existing offsets standards and aggregation approaches, including the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism’s Programme of Activities, the Verified Carbon Standard’s grouped projects, the Climate Action Reserve’s forestry protocol aggregation guidelines, the American Carbon Registry’s aggregation guidelines for forestry projects, the Chicago Climate Exchange’s soil conservation protocol, and the Alberta Offset System’s tillage systems protocol.
In addition, the report examines business models that offset project developers have employed to replicate one project type in order to streamline the process of generating offsets without the need to rely on a specific methodology for aggregation. The report also discusses options for sectoral crediting, an approach that seeks to reward specific economic sectors in specific regions if they exceed sectoral GHG emissions targets
