VM0009

Full explainer

VM0009 is Verra's methodology for Avoided Ecosystem Conversion (AEC) — broader in scope than the forest-only REDD methodologies because it covers grasslands, peatlands, mangroves, and other natural ecosystems threatened by conversion to agriculture or development. Projects must establish a deforestation/conversion baseline using historical and remote-sensing evidence and demonstrate the avoided conversion is both additional and quantifiable.

VM0009 has been used for Indonesian peat-forest and tidal-wetland projects where the activity is broader than canonical REDD — e.g. mangrove conservation areas threatened by aquaculture conversion. As of 2023-2024 Verra has been steering peat-rewetting projects toward VM0033 and grassland projects toward VM0048's broader activity modules, so VM0009 issuances are concentrated in projects already in their crediting period rather than new registrations.

Authoritative source

Related terms

• VM0007
• VM0033
• VM0048