Decarbonization Metrics Guidance
RICA decarbonization metrics are designed to support climate-performance visibility without turning every project into a carbon-credit project. They help describe emissions outcomes alongside adaptation, biodiversity, livelihoods, and operating performance.
Metrics
Section titled “Metrics”| Metric | Unit | Reporting Boundary | Primary Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GHG Emissions Avoided | tCO2e | Greenhouse gas emissions avoided during the period, including methane, nitrous oxide, and other gases converted to carbon dioxide equivalent. | Method worksheet, baseline, activity data, conversion factors, operating logs. |
| Carbon Sequestration | tC | Carbon removed or durably sequestered through the project, measured in tonnes of carbon. | Biomass or soil method, restoration records, sampling, model assumptions, GIS area. |
GHG Emissions Avoided
Section titled “GHG Emissions Avoided”GHG Emissions Avoided should include methane and other non-carbon-dioxide gases where the method converts them to carbon dioxide equivalent. Methane may remain important in solution-framework narratives, especially for manure and waste systems, but RICA does not require a separate common methane metric.
Common errors include reporting avoided emissions without a baseline, mixing annualized estimates into monthly values, or using carbon-credit claims without identifying the method boundary.
Carbon Sequestration
Section titled “Carbon Sequestration”Carbon Sequestration uses tonnes of carbon, not carbon dioxide equivalent. Sponsors should clearly state whether values are measured, modeled, estimated, or verified. Where values are modeled from hectares or biomass, reviewers should check that the model assumptions are appropriate for the solution framework and geography.
Relationship To Carbon Markets
Section titled “Relationship To Carbon Markets”RICA metrics may support climate diligence, but they do not automatically create carbon credits. If a project pursues a carbon-credit standard, the crediting methodology, ownership, claims, registry status, and double-counting controls should be documented separately.