2.6 Grandfathering of Existing Projects
2.6.1 Purpose
The Nature Climate Standard seeks to harmonise the definition of quality among European forest project developers while also providing a governance framework that aligns with international standards.
To enable this Europe-wide impact, it is necessary to provide existing project developers with a workable path to certify their methodologies (as outlined in 2.1) and transfer their existing projects to the new standard.
2.6.2 Eligibility
This policy applies to projects developed under a methodology prior to its initial certification by the NCS.
Projects developed under a previous version of an already certified methodology that has undergone an update are not covered here. They are addressed under section 2.4.
2.6.3 Procedure
2.6.3.1 Notification
Owners / Administrators of existing projects will be notified of the methodology's certification and provided with guidance on how to transition their project into the NCS framework. Notifications will occur 30 days after the certification is announced at the latest.
2.6.3.2 Transition Period
A 12-month transition period is granted for projects to demonstrate compliance with the newly certified methodology. During this time projects may continue to operate as they originally did but must make the necessary adjustments to fully comply with the NCS.
2.6.3.3 Simplified Application for Validation
Project owners / administrators must submit a simplified revalidation application that includes:
Proof of compliance for the project under the previous methodology, including PDD and validation / verification statements;
updates or changes required to meet NCS standards;
any special considerations.
Project developers who administer multiple projects under the same methodology may submit a summary application that includes:
List of projects that are to be grandfathered in;
proof of compliance for all projects under the previous methodology, including PDDs and third-party validation / verification reports;
updates or changes required across all projects;
any special considerations that apply to individual projects.
On the basis of these documents, NCS will be able to verify adherence to the previous methodology. Provided there are no issues with compliance, projects must only demonstrate that they have closed the delta between the previous and updated methodology.
Once the application has been received and acknowledged, the project to be grandfathered in is listed on the registry as "undergoing validation".
2.6.3.4 Third-Party Verification
Projects transitioning through the grandfathering process must be verified by an NCS-accredited VVB during the transition period. This may be conducted as part of the regular verification process. Re-validation of projects may be necessary, dependent upon the nature of the changes and updates made to the methodology in question.
The third-party verification requirements differ depending on the VVB qualifications and the scale and nature of changes made to the methodology as part of the methodology certification process (2.1). Refer to the decision matrix below to see the verification requirements.
Meets NCS requirements
Significant changes
Full re-validation required. VVB must ensure the project is in line with the new methodology
Meets NCS requirements
Minor changes
Standard yearly verification. The VVB verifies that the minor changes are correctly implemented without compromising integrity
Does not meet NCS requirements
Significant changes
Full re-validation required with a qualified VVB. The project must undergo re-verification with a VVB that meets NCS standards due to the significance of the methodology change
Does not meet NCS requirements
Minor changes
The project needs verification by a new VVB that meets NCS requirements. Only a partial review to confirm compliance with the minor changes is required, but it must be conducted by an NCS-accredited VVB
Legend:
Methodology changes
significant (changes that have a material impact on the issuance of carbon credits)
minor (smaller issues that have no material impact on the issuance of carbon credits)
Note that NCS reserves the right to require re-validation of any project during the grandfathering process.
2.6.3.5 No Compromise on NCS Integrity
Projects must meet all NCS and ISO 14064-2:2019 requirements before being fully certified. This includes meeting all methodological requirements, such as accurate quantification, reliable baselines and strong additionality.
2.6.3.6 Crediting
Carbon credits issued before entering the grandfathering process cannot claim to be NCS-compliant under any circumstance. Where methodology changes are minor, credits issued during the transitional phase may be transferred to the NCS registry after the grandfathering process has been completed successfully.
Projects that exceed the 12-month transitional phase (or the granted extension) will no longer be eligible to claim mitigation outcomes until they achieve compliance.
2.6.3.7 Completion and Validation
Once the grandfathering process has concluded with a positive VVB report confirming compliance with the new NCS-certified methodology, the project will be listed on the registry as "validated".
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