The main choices to be considered when deciding on how to establish a baseline are as follows:
These options are discussed below. Table 5-4 provides examples of how baselines of different pilot projects have been constructed.
Table 5-4: Approaches used by different projects to establish baselines. | ||||
|
||||
Baseline Issues
|
||||
Type of Project |
Project-Specific or Generic
|
Approach Used to Establish Baseline
|
Fixed or Adjustable
|
Reference
|
|
||||
Avoided Emissions | ||||
Noel Kempf Climate Action Project, Bolivia | Project-specific | Simple logical argument based on adjusting observed trends; quantification of baseline carbon done in proxy areas | Adjustable, based on changes of demand for timber, changes in marketable species, forest law, and rates of deforestation | Brown et al. (2000) |
Reduced Impact Logging, Sabah, Malaysia | Project-specific | Simple logical argument, based on assuming continuation of business-as-usual trends; quantification of baseline carbon done in control plots | Fixed | Pinard and Putz (1997) |
Rio Bravo Carbon Sequestration Project, Belize | Project-specific | Simple logical argument, based on assuming continuation of business-as-usual trends | Fixed | Programme for Belize (1997) |
|
||||
Sequestration | ||||
Farm Forestry Scolel Te Pilot Project, Chiapas, Mexico | Mixed approach | Regional land-use model with community-specific adjustments based on land-use needs | Fixed | Tipper et al. (1998) |
INFAPRO Rainforest Rehabilitation, Malaysia | Project-specific | Simple logical argument, based on assuming continuation of business-as-usual trends; quantification of baseline carbon done in control plots | Fixed | Moura-Costa et al. (1996) |
|
||||
Multi-Component (avoided emissions and sequestration) | ||||
Protected Areas Project and Private Forests Project, Costa Rica | Generic, set by Costa Rican Office for Joint Implementation (OCIC) | Simple logical argument, based on adjusting current land-use trends; quantification of baseline carbon based on literature values | No adjustments planned | SGS (1998) |
Guaraque�aba Climate Action Project, Brazil | Project-specific | Spatial land-use models incorporating socioeconomic factors | Adjustable, to recalibrate model at frequent intervals | Brown et al. (1999a) |
|
Other reports in this collection |