Seal of Approval

Our “Seal of Approval” framework enables organizations to assess the carbon mitigation potential of community projects in the developing world. The Seal of Approval can be used for small-scale forestry projects, as well as technologies such as fuel-efficient cookstoves, fireless cookers, water filters, and small-scale solar power.

Gaining a Seal of Approval enables nonprofits and community-based organizations to access funds from voluntary carbon offsetting through projects that bring local benefits, including improvements to livelihoods, health, biodiversity, gender equality, financial savings, building the capacity of local community-based organizations, climate resilience, and adaptation alongside carbon mitigation.

The Seal of Approval can be used by A Rocha national organizations, international nonprofits, and mission agencies wishing to ensure that their own (or their partners’) carbon mitigation projects (which may be funded internally from their own offset budget) are of high quality.

By relying on existing project data and publicly available data, working through trusted partners, and using local third parties to verify reporting information, the Seal of Approval framework is simpler and more cost-efficient than other voluntary carbon standards. This ensures that as much as possible of the carbon offsetting income goes to local communities while delivering high standards of design, implementation, and accountability.

While every Seal of Approval project will generate a calculated quantity of carbon savings (known as “carbos”) these are not tradable “carbon credits” and are not eligible to be registered or traded on any of the carbon trading exchanges.