Geonoma

The state of Tocantins was the first subnational jurisdiction in the world to submit the TREES Registry Document (TRD) under the ART-TREES standard. This technical document is the first step toward certifying the carbon credits generated by Tocantins’ Jurisdictional REDD (JREDD) Program. Geonoma is the company leading the technical development of the documents required to meet the TREES standard. 

Specifically, Geonoma is responsible for all estimates of emission reductions from deforestation and native vegetation degradation in the state of Tocantins. This work is known as MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification). Additionally, Geonoma oversees the review, validation, and approval of all other contributions from partners and the government in the development of Tocantins’ JREDD program. 

Beyond the Jurisdictional REDD program, Geonoma is also developing an ecological restoration program, which includes large-scale restoration initiatives, such as the restoration project for Cantão State Park. Together with the government, we are working to restore thousands of hectares of forests in unique ecosystems of high importance for biodiversity conservation.

MRV is the foundation of a carbon project. This term encompasses all the phases and steps necessary to quantify and estimate emission reductions. In short, MRV is the process of quantifying activity data, emission factors, and their interactions. 

In the case of REDD+, activity data refers to the annual amount of native vegetation area that has been deforested or degraded in a certain area. Emission factors represent the amount of carbon stored in the native vegetation where these activities occurred. 

However, Tocantins’ Jurisdictional REDD program faces two major challenges: the first is the state’s vast territory—over 27 million hectares, with 11 million hectares of forests. The second is that 90% of Tocantins falls within the Cerrado biome. 

Such extensive areas (Tocantins is slightly larger than New Zealand) require processing a massive volume of data. This is only feasible with advanced geospatial analyses, involving extensive validation, review, and quality control processes.

It is widely accepted in science that the main threat to biodiversity conservation is habitat loss due to deforestation and ecosystem degradation. The conversion of natural areas into pastures, croplands, mining zones, urban developments, and large reservoirs eliminates habitats – sometimes unique or irreplaceable ones – along with millions of individuals from thousands of species that once inhabited those areas.

Deforestation and degradation fragment habitats, isolating species populations, reducing genetic diversity, disrupting evolutionary processes, and weakening species genetically. Habitat loss occurs over vast areas and has a great potential for species extinction. 

Thus, protecting natural areas from deforestation and degradation prevents or mitigates habitat loss. The conservation of tropical forests preserves ecosystems composed of thousands of species and their populations, thereby preventing biodiversity loss.