How CitizenClimate dMRV Supports Plan Vivo PV Climate & PV Nature
The World's Oldest Carbon Standard Puts Communities First. So Do We.
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CitizenClimate was built around the same principle that has defined Plan Vivo for over 25 years: that the people who live in and depend on these landscapes should be at the centre of how they are monitored, managed, and rewarded.
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Plan Vivo is different from the other carbon standards in ways that matter.
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It's the longest-standing voluntary carbon standard in the world, with roots stretching back to the Scolel'te pilot project in Mexico in 1997. It has spent a quarter of a century refining what genuine community-led carbon certification looks like. And today, through its PV Climate carbon standard and the newer PV Nature biodiversity standard, it remains the market's clearest articulation of what it means to put people at the centre of nature-based solutions — not as a box-ticking exercise, but as the actual mechanism through which climate and biodiversity impact is achieved.
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That means Plan Vivo projects look different from most VCS or Gold Standard projects.
They tend to be smaller. They are almost always run by NGOs or grassroots organisations working directly with rural smallholders and community groups. The "plan vivo" — the individual land management plan — sits at the heart of everything. And the monitoring requirements are built around the reality of what small, distributed community projects can actually deliver, rather than the expectations of a large industrial forestry operation.
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CitizenClimate was designed with exactly this kind of project in mind.
WHY PLAN VIVO AND CITIZENCLIMATE ARE A NATURAL FIT
Plan Vivo's community model creates a very specific monitoring challenge. The projects are distributed — often across hundreds or thousands of individual smallholder plots. The participants have varying levels of literacy and technical access. The project coordinators are typically NGOs operating on tight budgets, often in remote areas with poor connectivity.
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Standard MRV approaches — GPS-equipped field teams, expensive lab-based soil sampling, complex satellite monitoring subscriptions — are simply out of reach for many Plan Vivo projects. And even where they're available, they don't capture the community livelihood data, benefit-sharing records, and stakeholder engagement evidence that Plan Vivo's requirements demand alongside the carbon accounting.
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CitizenClimate addresses all of this in one platform:
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Offline-first mobile surveys designed for areas with no consistent connectivity
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Multilingual interfaces (English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Ukrainian) for global community deployment
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AI-powered species identification for biodiversity observation without specialist expertise
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Gamification and badge systems to sustain long-term community participation across multi-year projects
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Weighted livelihood and SDG surveys that document the co-benefits Plan Vivo buyers increasingly want to see
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Real-time dashboards giving project coordinators and independent experts (IEs) access to verified monitoring data
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Photo and audio documentation for ground-truthing monitoring claims
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At least 60% of Plan Vivo Certificate revenues must flow back to the local community — which means demonstrating genuine community participation isn't a nice-to-have. It's the whole point. CitizenClimate's community survey tools create the documented, auditable record of that participation that independent verification requires.
PLAN VIVO'S METHODOLOGY ARCHITECTURE — HOW IT WORKS
Before diving into the specific methodologies, it's worth explaining how Plan Vivo structures its methodology framework under PV Climate v5.0 — because it's deliberately different from what you'll find at Verra or Gold Standard.
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Rather than a long list of stand-alone methodologies for each project type, Plan Vivo uses a modular architecture. There are currently two approved core methodologies — PM001 and PM002 — each of which acts as the overarching framework. These are then populated by a set of approved modules (PU-series) that handle specific quantification tasks, and tools (PT-series) that support specific analytical procedures. Projects mix and match the appropriate modules and tools within the framework of their chosen methodology.
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This modular approach makes the system more flexible and accessible for small community projects, while maintaining rigorous, standardised accounting across all certified initiatives.
ACTIVE PV CLIMATE METHODOLOGIES
PM001 — Agriculture and Forestry Carbon Benefit Assessment Methodology, v1.0
(Active from: 09/11/2023)
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This is Plan Vivo's primary and most widely applied methodology — a modular framework covering carbon accounting across the full range of smallholder agriculture and community forestry project types. PM001 provides the overarching procedures and is populated by the PU-series modules described below.
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Eligible project activities under PM001 include:
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Afforestation and reforestation
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Forest restoration
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Agroforestry and farm forestry
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Changes to cultivation practices
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Changes to livestock and manure management
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Forest protection and avoided deforestation/degradation
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Improved forest management
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CitizenClimate's survey toolkit is built to support all of these activity types. Our agroforestry surveys directly support PM001-based projects in capturing tree planting data, species composition, canopy cover estimates, and farmer compliance with individual land management plans. For forest protection projects, our community surveys document deforestation pressures, encroachment activity, and community stewardship behaviours that feed into the monitoring requirements PM001 demands.
PM002 — Methodology for Carbon Removals from Smallholder Agroforestry (Acorn), v1.0
(Active from: 29/09/2025)
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A more recently approved modular methodology specifically designed for small-scale agroforestry projects, developed by Acorn and reviewed by Plan Vivo TRP and AENOR. PM002 describes the procedures for measuring change in carbon stocks and calculating carbon removals achieved through agroforestry practices at the smallholder scale.
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PM002 incorporates a remote sensing-based approach to aboveground biomass estimation, using satellite imagery calibrated with ground truth data from field plots. CitizenClimate's ground-level community surveys are a natural complement to this approach — providing the field-level behavioural and management data that remote sensing alone cannot capture, and supporting the ground truth data collection procedures described in the associated tools.
ACTIVE PV CLIMATE MODULES (PU-SERIES)
All modules are components of PM001 or PM002. Projects draw on the relevant modules for their specific activity type and quantification requirements.
PU001 — Estimation of Baseline and Project GHG Removals by Carbon Pools, v1.1
(Active from: 12/05/2025)
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The core removals accounting module, applicable to all project interventions that result in net removal of GHGs from the atmosphere — including afforestation and reforestation, forest restoration, agroforestry, farm forestry, and changes to cultivation practices. CitizenClimate community surveys support the ongoing monitoring of project activities that feed into PU001's carbon stock change calculations, including tree survival rates, canopy development, and land use change observations.
PU002 — Estimation of Baseline and Project GHG Emissions from Carbon Pools, v1.0
(Active from: 08/11/2023)
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The emissions accounting module, applicable to forest protection projects where the primary benefit is reducing carbon pool emissions through avoided deforestation and degradation. Community monitors document deforestation pressure indicators, land use change events, and forest condition data that inform PU002's baseline and project emissions estimates.
PU003 — Estimation of GHG Emissions from Emission Sources, v1.0
(Active from: 09/11/2023)
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Applicable across all eligible Plan Vivo project interventions — including livestock and manure management, cultivation practice changes, and improved forest management — covering emissions from non-carbon pool sources. Community surveys can capture livestock herd management data, burning activity, and other emission-relevant land use behaviours.
PU004 — Estimation of GHG Emissions from Leakage, v1.0
(Active from: 08/11/2023)
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The leakage accounting module, covering activity-shifting and market leakage that may result in emissions outside the project area. Community-level survey data — particularly around land use pressure and agricultural expansion patterns in neighbouring areas — provides the contextual evidence that informs leakage assessment and discount factor selection.
PU005 — Estimation of Uncertainty of Carbon Benefit Estimates, v1.1
(Active from: 21/05/2024)
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The uncertainty quantification module, used to calculate the uncertainty adjustment applied to carbon benefit estimates. Community monitoring data quality and spatial coverage directly influence the uncertainty estimates that PU005 produces — better community monitoring means more defensible uncertainty adjustments and potentially higher credit issuance.
PU006 — Remote Sensing-Based Models of Aboveground Biomass in Smallholder Agroforestry (Acorn), v1.0
(Active from: 29/09/2025)
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Part of the PM002 methodology. Provides guidance for developing, calibrating, and validating remote sensing-based aboveground biomass models using ground truth data. CitizenClimate's field surveys support the ground truth data collection procedures this module requires — including plot-level tree measurements and species identification that feeds into model training and validation.
PU007 — Adaptive Pre-Project Woody Biomass Baseline for Small-Scale Agroforestry (Acorn), v1.0
(Active from: 29/09/2025)
Part of PM002. Provides a method for establishing an adaptive baseline for change in woody biomass within the project area prior to the project intervention. Community surveys documenting existing land use, vegetation cover, and historical land management practices contribute to the pre-project baseline evidence base.
PU008 — Uncertainty of Carbon Benefits from Small-Scale Agroforestry (Acorn), v1.0
(Active from: 29/09/2025)
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Part of PM002. A specific uncertainty estimation module for small-scale agroforestry, using confidence interval methods based on validation set residuals. The spatial coverage and consistency of community-level monitoring data are key inputs to the uncertainty calculations this module performs.
PU009 — Carbon Benefits from Small-Scale Agroforestry with Partial Felling and Harvesting of Trees (Acorn), v1.0
(Active from: 29/09/2025)
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Part of PM002. Covers applicability conditions and procedures for projects that involve partial tree felling or harvesting — an important consideration for community agroforestry projects where trees provide both carbon benefits and non-timber products for community use. Community surveys can capture harvesting activity, species selection, and recovery monitoring data.
ACTIVE PV CLIMATE TOOLS (PT-SERIES)
Tools handle specific analytical tasks within the broader methodology framework.
PT001 — SHAMBA Model: Soil Carbon Estimation Tool (ON HOLD) (v2.0 Active from: 08/11/2023 — currently on hold pending review)
For estimating soil organic carbon benefits from agroforestry and conservation agriculture implemented by smallholders, using the SHAMBA model (based on the Rothamstead Carbon Model, RothC). While currently on hold, this tool supports the soil carbon accounting that complements aboveground biomass monitoring — an area where community-level survey data on management practices is essential context.
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PT002 — REDD Community Forest Tool: Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, v2.0 (Active from: 08/11/2023)
For estimating carbon benefits from projects reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in community managed forests. Procedures cover both ex-ante estimation of expected emissions and ex-post verification of emissions at the end of verification periods. CitizenClimate community surveys provide the field-level deforestation monitoring data — encroachment events, forest access patterns, fire incidence — that PT002 procedures draw on.
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PT003 — Modelling Tool for Carbon Baselines and Benefits, v1.0 (Active from: 12/05/2025)
Provides guidance on using empirical or process-based models to estimate carbon baselines and benefits, applicable to all PV Climate project interventions and locations. CitizenClimate's structured data collection ensures that the field monitoring data feeding into these models meets the quality and representativeness requirements PT003 specifies.
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PT004 — Land Degradation Assessment Tool, v1.0 (Active from: 12/05/2025)
Provides procedures for identifying degraded and degrading lands in PV Climate projects, supporting conservative baseline assumptions and compliance with methodology requirement 1.2.4 on managing unquantifiable uncertainties. Community observations of land condition, vegetation change, and land use history are the primary data sources this tool draws on — exactly the kind of ground-level information CitizenClimate community surveys are designed to collect systematically.
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PT005 — Deforestation Assessment Tool for Small-Scale Agroforestry (Acorn), v1.0 (Active from: 29/09/2025)
Used to determine whether deforestation has occurred within a project area, applicable to PM002 projects applying small-scale agroforestry practices. Project areas with deforestation in the 10 years prior to onboarding are not eligible unless it can be demonstrated the deforestation was due to natural events. Community knowledge and CitizenClimate's photo-documentation capabilities can support the historical land use evidence this tool requires.
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PT006 — Ground Truth Data Collection Tool for Remote Sensing Biomass Modelling (Acorn), v1.0 (Active from: 29/09/2025)
Provides the standard operating procedure for ground truth data collection — including site selection, plot-level measurements, and data transformation — for use as input to the biomass modelling described in PM002 and Module PU006. CitizenClimate's structured field survey tools, geolocation functionality, and photo documentation are directly applicable to the ground truth data collection procedures this tool describes.
PV NATURE — PLAN VIVO'S BIODIVERSITY STANDARD
Alongside PV Climate, Plan Vivo launched PV Nature in 2023 — a pioneering biodiversity standard for community-led conservation and restoration projects. PV Nature is designed to generate Plan Vivo Biodiversity Certificates (PVBCs), enabling communities to access funding specifically for biodiversity conservation and restoration, separate from carbon markets.
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This is one of the most genuinely exciting developments in environmental certification of the last few years, and it's an area where CitizenClimate has a natural and significant role to play.
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The PV Nature Methodology uses a multimetric approach founded on percentage change per hectare per year as its unit of measure. It draws on key ecosystem attributes including species-level data across a range of taxonomic groups — calculating a composite multimetric value that represents overall biodiversity health. The methodology is applicable to both terrestrial and marine environments, and to restoration, conservation, and combined project types.
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PV Nature has recently opened its methodology to multiple approved third-party Data Analytic Providers, recognising that biodiversity quantification at scale requires accessible, auditable digital monitoring tools. Plan Vivo and its PV Nature pipeline projects are also establishing a digital equipment hub — a lending facility for early-stage projects to access monitoring tools including camera traps, acoustic devices, smartphones, and cameras for baseline data collection.
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CitizenClimate is directly applicable to PV Nature projects in two ways:
1. Biodiversity observation data collection Our AI-powered species identification feature enables community monitors with smartphones to identify and record plant and animal species they observe in the project area. This produces exactly the kind of species presence/absence and diversity data that PV Nature's multimetric methodology draws on. Community monitors — who know the landscape intimately — can collect more comprehensive species observation data over time than periodic expert field surveys alone.
2. Community engagement and benefit-sharing documentation PV Nature requires clear evidence of community consultation, inclusive participation, and equitable benefit sharing — mirroring PV Climate's requirements. CitizenClimate's community survey tools create the documented, timestamped record of engagement that independent verification requires.
THE 60% COMMUNITY REVENUE RULE — AND WHY MONITORING PROVES IT
Plan Vivo's requirement that at least 60% of certificate revenue flows back to local communities is one of the most distinctive features of the standard — and one that sophisticated buyers increasingly cite as a reason for choosing Plan Vivo projects over alternatives.
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But demonstrating that this revenue is being distributed fairly, equitably, and in ways that communities have agreed to requires ongoing documentation. Who received payments? When? Through what mechanism? What did the community decide to invest in? Was the process inclusive of women, youth, and marginalised groups?
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CitizenClimate's community survey tools can document all of this — not as a one-off exercise at validation, but as an ongoing, verifiable record throughout the project lifetime. This kind of longitudinal community engagement documentation is increasingly what carbon buyers and investors request in their due diligence — and Plan Vivo projects that can provide it have a genuine market advantage.
PLAN VIVO'S ACCELERATOR — AND HOW CITIZENCLIMATE SUPPORTS EARLY-STAGE PROJECTS
Plan Vivo runs a 12-month Project Accelerator programme designed to help community-led projects build the skills and overcome the barriers to securing financing and achieving certification. A key challenge highlighted in Plan Vivo's own research is securing upfront funding — the cost and complexity of getting a project through design, validation, and initial verification.
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Digital MRV is one of the most effective ways to reduce these costs. When community monitoring generates clean, structured, VIE-ready data from the outset, the burden on independent experts at validation and verification is substantially reduced. CitizenClimate's approach — systematic surveys, photo documentation, geolocation, and real-time dashboards — creates the documentation infrastructure that makes early-stage Plan Vivo projects easier and cheaper to validate.
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We're particularly interested in working with Plan Vivo Accelerator projects to integrate CitizenClimate from the project design stage, building community monitoring capacity before the first verification cycle rather than retrofitting it later.
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CitizenClimate supports monitoring data collection for Plan Vivo PV Climate and PV Nature certified projects. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Plan Vivo Foundation. All methodology and standard descriptions are based on publicly available Plan Vivo documentation. Project coordinators are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable PV Climate and PV Nature requirements. Methodology and tool status is accurate as of March 2026.
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