Social and Biodiversity Impact Assessment (SBIA) Manual for REDD+ Projects: Part 1 Version 2 – Core Guidance for Project Proponents

The Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, used to assess multiple benefits of the majority of forest carbon projects, provide robust standards; however, until now there has been limited guidance on how to undertake credible and cost-effective impact assessment. Forest Trends, the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and Rainforest Alliance have developed a user-friendly manual that enables land-based carbon project proponents to undertake cost-effective social and biodiversity impact assessment (SBIA). The SBIA Manual is oriented to the CCB Standards, but the approach described is applicable to other multiple benefit carbon standards, as well as to other types of payments for ecosystem services (PES) projects. This is version 2 of the Manual, released in October and launched via a webinar on November 22. There are three (3) parts to the manual 1-Core Guidance for Project Proponents (also available in both French and Spanish), 2-Social Impact Assessment Toolbox (also available in Spanish), and 3-Biodiversity Impact Assessment Toolbox). See Related Items for French and Spanish versions.