Planning phase | PANORAMA

Avoid double counting

Double counting in carbon projects refers to a situation where a carbon credit is claimed by more than one entity, without producing any additional carbon benefit. In simple terms, it occurs when two parties claim the same carbon removal or emission reduction benefits. Double counting undermines the integrity of carbon offset programs and the fight against climate change as it distorts the actual emissions reductions or removals achieved. It essentially dilutes the value and effectiveness of carbon credits.

Double counting can be avoided if all work is done through one entity and announced to one standard method like the GLS+ methodology tested in this pilot project.

In the actual setting with one entity and a specific forest, where no measures other then biodiversity measures can be legally undertaken, double counting was not a major concern.

Planning phase

National

Additionality

In carbon offset projects, additionality is crucial for determining the quality of carbon offset credits. A project is said to be "additional" if its associated greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions would not have occurred without the specific intervention, thereby ensuring the credibility and effectiveness of the carbon credits issued.

Additionality is respected if the cut would not have been done without the financial contribution of the issued CO2 certificates.

As the cut was already executed and the calculation was done retrospective, this condition was not respected in the examined Pilot project. But if the cut is done for biodiversity reasons and the resulting CO2 certificates are used to finance the cut or increase the managed surface, then this condition would be respected.

Planning phase

Global

Governmental Consultation Facility

Process of the Consultation Facility

Alliance

The goal of the Consultation Facility is to provide context-specific multidisciplinary consultancy services from Alliance experts to governments/governmental institutions in countries with a high risk of novel diseases of zoonotic origin to prevent spill-over infections.

The expertise of more than 180+ member organisations and individual experts in the Alliance will be used to put together those interdiscplinary teams.

The Consultation Facility specializes on medium-term, primary preventive and context-specific government advisory services with concrete results in the context of health risks in wildlife trade and consumption along the entire contact and trade chain.

Effective and sustainable counseling requires thorough policy analysis/screening to identify suitable governments.

Existing political action or other political regulations regarding the intersection of wildlife and human health for example, are particulary helpful at the beginning of the consultation.

The facility was launched in December 2023. For this reason, the lessons learned will only be communicated in the course of 2024.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Feasibility Study

A study on how the carbon market could potentially finance climate adaptation/mitigation projects.

Collaboration with researchers in the climate financing field and relevant governmental stakeholders.

The Indonesian carbon market is yet to be fully developed, with many uncertainties in the policy side. Nonetheless, feasibility study became a guideline for other initiatives who are searching for sustainable financing for their mitigation projects.

Although the findings were not fully conclusive, connections with the Government were established along the way to receive the necessary information for future implementation.

Policy Dialogues or Workshops

A dialogue or workshop with governmental stakeholders to present case studies or solutions that could be incorporated into national policies.

An ongoing collaboration with the national government and close communication about various project updates that are beneficial for policy.

Conducting panel discussions or FGD has been shown to facilitate dialogues between the public and private sectors. Such discussions are important for information accessibility to the private sector, while also influencing policies that are not resistant to project goals.

For instance, the carbon market workshop was significant in elaborating the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) plan on the Indonesian Carbon Market. Elaborating projects such as the biogas initiative early on is necessary to ensure smooth implementation once the policies are ready.

Pre-Training Survey boosting training effectiveness

The Blue Economy (BE) concept has become a central aspect of global and regional environmental policies. This is mainly reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Goal 14, which is to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” (UN, 2017). Nonetheless, such concept is still new to Mozambique, and it became relevant to explore the different participants background on this topic.

Pre-training surveys helps to gather data that can inform how to run the training, how it’s delivered and what content it covers. To ensure training participants’ ownership of the program, a preparatory working group meeting was also convened, enabling potential participants to share their expectations and learning objectives with each other and to discuss key adaptations to be done. The results from the survey helped to make changes or improvements that maximized the results for the participants.

Objectives should be shared clearly from the very beginning of the process;
It is necessary to use the information from the participants to prepare a tailored training;
Facilitators should be flexible to attribute specific time to certain topics;
Exercises should be tailored to audience level and make them more culturally appropriate.

Human resources for rat training

While APOPO trains scent detection rats, we also train scent detection rat trainers and supervisors. Animal training knowledge, understanding of welfare and care, as well as leadership skills are required to usher rats through their training stages successfully. By investing in human capital, we can support our animals' progress more efficiently.

APOPO's core values include quality, innovation, social transformation, diversity, and solidarity. In line with that, the current project team is compiled of four women and three men, six of whom are Tanzanian. By embracing and fostering diversity, project development benefits from a wide range of experiences.

Motivated staff, capacity building, international exchange of new and emerging animal training and learning processes, critical thinking, willingness to learn, and teamwork.

Screening staff before hiring them as animal trainers should not only include their theoretical skills and qualifications but also explore whether they are comfortable handling a rat. Continued training and capacity building throughout improves trainer capabilities and allows upskilling internally. This in turn creates incentive, high motivation, and fosters integrity. Close attention should be paid to treating staff fairly and allowing equal access to opportunities and equity.

Through high representation of women on our team, APOPO also leads as an example. It increases visibility of women in science in communities and with partners we work with.

Revision of the Management Plan

Bryggen has been damaged by a number of fires through the centuries. Here traces from a large fire in 1955.

Guri Dahl, Norges Verdensarv

Traces of decorated walls, here from the galleries

Guri Dahl, Norges Verdensarv

Restoration is done with a focus on maintaining original methods and building materials.

Guri Dahl, Norges Verdensarv

The Management Plan is key for the successful management of Bryggen as a WH site. It provides a good understanding of the OUV and other heritage values and it identifies the attributes and provides an overview of potential challenges for the protection of the site.

With the establishment of the new WH management structure, the revision of the management plan by the Advisory Board started in 2018. The WH Coordinator with 4 members of the Advisory Board worked closely in the development of the revised management plan.

Whenever needed, additional contributions from different officers and specialists were included, however the focus was put on keeping the process internal to ensure ownership of the plan by all concerned actors, ensuring that they will contribute to its implementation once adopted. The management plan was adopted by the WH Board in 2020 and the action plan was approved in 2021.

Clear definition of how the revision should proceed and which involvement is needed by the Advisory and World Heritage boards was vital,
WH coordinator played a key role in coordinating all efforts and acts as focal point for all actors involved.

Preparing and revising a management plan for a WH site is a good opportunity for the local actors tasked with WH management to agree on a shared understanding of the OUV and other heritage values of Bryggen and identify attributes conveying these values

The revision was key in establishing some common management goals and to begin the discussion around potential need for capacity building during this process.

The revision of a management plan is a rather time-consuming process; one therefore needs to be prepared to commit to it with sufficient time and resources. There are often different views on the purpose and aim of the management plan. The preparation of the new plan should involve different stakeholders and the process of management planning offers a space to discuss their different challenges and agendas with an understanding that it may be difficult to embrace all differences.

A management plan is an ongoing process and constantly needs improvement, both on content and on the process itself.

Planning phase

Local

Forvaltningsplan for verdensarvstedet Bryggen

Bryggen World Heritage Site Managemenet Plan

Local World Heritage Management Structure

These historic buildings demonstrate how the German merchants lived and worked at Bryggen.

Guri Dahl, Norges Verdensarv

Long narrow rows of buildings, separated by narrow wooden passages.

Guri Dahl, Norges Verdensarv

In 2012 Norway adopted a new national World Heritage policy to push for a more effective implementation of the World Heritage Convention at a national, regional and local level. This includes recommendations for the establishment of local management structures able to enhance local capacities for management.
In 2018, a new structure was approved by all stakeholders and recognized at all levels. It consists of:

a WH Board responsible for the protection of Bryggen in accordance with WH requirements and the management plan. It consists of 4 political members (2 from Vestland County Council,2 from the Municipality of Bergen) appointed for 4 years.
an Advisory Board strengthens cooperation between stakeholders in Bryggen with the aim of protecting its OUV and other heritage values. It consists of 10 members representing building owners, museums, university, tourism operators, cultural heritage agencies at local, regional and national level, and friends’ association.
a full time World Heritage Coordinator funded by the national government and employed at the Agency of Cultural Heritage Management, City of Bergen. It is the contact person for the WH site and responsible for stakeholder involvement and site management.

There are two main factors that have enabled such a local WH heritage management structure:

The national policy for World Heritage which establishes local structures and the appointment of a WH coordinator;
A long, ongoing and thorough process for stakeholder involvement was at the base of creating a structure that was accepted and formally recognized by all actors involved.

Developing a new structure for a local WH management requires acceptance by all stakeholders, and this needs to evolve and further develop over time. It is very much a learning-by-doing process.
There is not one way of doing things, but it is a process that develops towards identifying the best way of organising management locally. Through the process one also might identify new stakeholders who should be included.

The aim is to coordinate activities, identify how each stakeholder is important for the overall management of World Heritage. However, there is no mandate to instruct either private stakeholders or public management. Hence, it is a continuous process to define the role and mandate of the local World Heritage management structure.

Planning phase

Implementation

Local

World Heritage in Norway: national policy for an inclusive and participatory im…

Ny helhetlig verdensarvpolitikk

Framtid med fotfeste - Meld. St. 35 (2012–2013)

New goals for Norway’s cultural environment policy — Meld. St. 16 (2019–2020)

Partners

While APOPO is the leading organisation in training scent detection rats, we rely on our partners for a wide range of support. Without them, deploying scent detection rats would not be possible. Such partners range from local partners such as the Sokoine University of Agriculture, to international partners such as Mine Action Authorities, governments, donors, and specialised organisations.

For example, the wildlife detection project partners with the Endangered Wildlife Trust of South Africa. The project has been funded by a wide range of government donors such as

- The German Government (through the GIZ 'Partnership against Wildlife Crime in Africa and Asia' Global Program)

- The UNDP-GEF-USAID 'Reducing Maritime Trafficking of Wildlife between Africa and Asia' Project

- The UK 'Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund'

- The Wildlife Conservation Network

- The Pangolin Crisis Fund

- US Fish and Wildlife

We rely heavily on support from the Tanzanian Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) for provision of training aids, and, recently, the support from the Dar es Salaam Joint Port Control Unit in order to conduct operational trials for illegal wildlife detection.

Trust, collaboration, networking, knowledge exchange, integrity, supporting evidence, reporting, media and outreach.

Building relationships takes time and trust. Open and honest dissemination of results, goals, and setbacks ensures that partners feel that they can trust your organisation. In addition, when dealing with governments and partners in countries other than your 'own', we have found it helpful to have a person who is familiar with the way the specific countries' governments work. An in-depth understanding of cultural values and customs can greatly enhance partnerships. In addition, expectations should be clearly communicated across all parties to avoid frustration and misunderstandings.