Plan Vivo methodology
A pioneering standard since 1994, rooted in community ownership and climate integrity.
What Plan Vivo is and why it matters
Plan Vivo is an international standard established in 1994 that enables rural communities to design, implement, and benefit from climate and ecosystem projects. It places community ownership at the centre, ensuring that local people control decisions and share in the gains from their land and labour.
Four pillars that hold everything together
Plan Vivo rests on principles that have proven themselves in the field. Community ownership means local people decide what happens on their land. Participatory design ensures their voices shape every stage of the work.
Community ownership
Communities lead the design and implementation of projects affecting their territories. They retain control over decisions and benefit flows.
Environmental safeguards
Robust assessments protect ecosystems and ensure projects deliver genuine environmental gains. No shortcuts, no compromises.
Participatory monitoring
Communities track outcomes themselves, supported by third-party verification. Transparency is built in from the start.
Accountability mechanisms
Clear grievance procedures and independent oversight ensure communities have recourse. Trust is earned through openness.
Where the money actually goes
Plan Vivo requires that at least 60% of carbon credit revenue flows directly to communities. Mama Nature goes further: communities receive 75% at ACADESAN and 65% at La Voz de los Negros and Chanzará & Alto Río Sequihonda, with transparent disbursement and long-term benefit realisation.
Credits issued from real results
Annual third-party verification confirms outcomes
Verification happens after the work is done
Credits are issued based on verified outcomes, not forecasts. This approach eliminates speculation and ensures every credit represents real, measured climate action on the ground.
Communities decide if and how their land is used
Free, Prior and Informed Consent is not optional. It is the foundation of every Plan Vivo project, guaranteeing communities the right to say yes or no, with full understanding and ongoing authority over their resources.
Carbon integrity built on solid ground
Every credit rests on principles that hold. Additionality means the project creates change beyond what would happen anyway. Permanence ensures that carbon stays locked away, not released back into the air.
Every credit tracked from birth to retirement
Each credit carries a unique serial number. It moves through Plan Vivo's registry and Colombia's RENARE system, visible at every step from issuance through to final retirement.
Serialized and tracked
Unique identifiers prevent duplication
Public transparency throughout
How this supports corporate integrity
Reputational risk falls away when safeguards are real and documented. Audit-ready records sit ready for scrutiny. Alignment with emerging guidance like VCMI and ICVCM means your claims rest on solid methodology, not wishful thinking.
Ready to verify integrity
Access the documentation and data that matter. See how credits move from project to retirement.