Safeguards: no net harm
Projects must cause no net harm to people or the environment across their lifetime. Small and large projects need an environmental and social impact assessment; micro-scale projects need a preliminary study.
The principle
Every project follows the principle of no net harm across its lifetime.
Areas covered
- Land and biodiversity, including rare, endangered and threatened species.
- Water.
- Fair labour, in compliance with labour laws.
- Community and human rights, including displacement. Resettlement must be both physical and economic.
- Gender equality.
- Religion, culture and heritage.
Impact assessment
| Scale | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Small and large | A full Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), following national or sub-national rules, or internationally accepted guidelines where none exist. Summarised in the SCR. |
| Micro | A preliminary study. A detailed ESIA is needed if impacts are considerable. |
Small and large projects give a brief safeguards update in each monitoring report. Micro-scale projects are exempt from that reporting.
Forestry projects certified by NCCF
Afforestation, reforestation and forest management projects in India certified under NCCF standards, for example NCCF-PEFC Forest Management, do not need a separate ESIA. They cite the audit in the DPD and keep the certification for the whole crediting period.
Sources
- Carbon Standard v1.1, sections 9.15, 9.17 and 13.6
- Validation and Verification Standard v1.1, sections 14.15 and 18.7
