At Climate Impact X, we are passionate about quality because we believe it is the key to real impact.
Today, there is no universal standard, and there is immense innovation in this space with new methods and registries emerging. Nonetheless, organisations want to be able to take practical action now and CIX is committed to helping you navigate this space. To do so, we engage with industry experts, bring you tools that help you understand the impact of a project, and curate each and every project that you see. One such tool is via our partnership with Sylvera. Learn more about what these ratings mean below.
| AAA | Very low risk | Projects rated AAA outperform their offsetting claims while also demonstrating high additionality and permanence potential. |
| AA | Low/Very low risk | Projects rated AA marginally underperform on or exceed their offset claims while demonstrating high additionality and permanence potential. |
| A | Low risk | Projects rated A somewhat underperform on their offsetting claims while demonstrating high additionality and permanence potential or exceed their objective while demonstrating satisfactory additionality and permanence potential. |
| BBB | Moderate risk | Projects rated BBB slightly underperform on their offset claims while also demonstrating very high additionality and permanence potential or exceed their objective while only demonstrating acceptable additionality and permanence potential. |
| BB | High/Moderate risk | The risk assessment of projects rated BB will have identified some concerns with regards to their additionality or permanence potential or the project will have failed to achieve their offset claims by a considerable margin. |
| B | High risk | The risk assessment of projects rated B will have identified serious concerns with regards to their additionality or permanence potential or the project will have greatly failed to achieve their offset objectives even if they demonstrate a strong additionality and permanence potential. |
| C | Very high risk | Projects rated C are judged to be either fundamentally flawed with regards to their additionality or permanence potential or have significantly failed to achieve their offset targets. |
| D | Extremely high risk/Fail | Projects rated D fail to meet minimum requirements and are likely to have serious red flags with regards to one or more parameters of the project and as such are highly speculative. |
Co-benefits
Co-benefits scores represent additional impacts of the project on biodiversity and local community benefits to both local communities and environment. As such, Sylvera excludes the Co-benefits score from the overall project’s rating. This is because the primary function of a Sylvera rating is to assess the likelihood that the claimed GHGs have been avoided or removed. It also prevents a high co-benefits score from inflating the Sylvera rating for a project that is underperforming from the perspective of avoiding or removing GHGs.
For REDD+, community scores are mapped onto the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) and normalised by emissions. Biodiversity scores consider species richness, regional threats to biodiversity, and project actions to reduce pressure on biodiversity.
For ARR, community scores are mapped on to SDG 5 and 8 specifically, as by nature of the project’s activities they are required to provide employment opportunities, in addition to all other SDGs. For biodiversity, the improvement to biodiversity is specifically measured, alongside the likelihood for that improvement to persist.
For IFM, community scores are mapped onto SDG 8 and 5 specifically, as by the nature of the project’s activities that are required to provide employment opportunities. Biodiversity scores consider species richness, regional threats to biodiversity, and project actions to reduce pressure on biodiversity.
For Renewables, community scores are mapped on to SDG 5, 7 and 8 specifically, as by nature of the project’s activities they are required to provide employment opportunities, in addition to all other SDGs. For biodiversity, the loss of biodiversity is specifically measured (e.g. avian mortality due to wind turbines).
For CCUS-EOR, given the nature of the project in themself, community and biodiversity scores are low by default and improved only if the project can demonstrate any improvements to one or several SDGs.
For Cookstoves, community scores are mapped onto the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) and normalised by country. Biodiversity scores consider species richness and regional threats to biodiversity.
| 5/5 | Indicates exceptional progression of targeted SDGs, as well as extraordinary species richness and high quality activities to reduce pressure on biodiversity. REDD+ Example: The project implements a broad range ofSDG activities with extensive reach in the community, operates in a biodiversity hotspot and successfully reduces pressures on the ecosystem. ARR Example: The project implements a broad range ofSDG activities with extensive reach in the community and plants several native species to meaningfully increase biodiversity in the project area. The project may also create a wildlife corridor through planting activities. Renewables Example: The project employs local communities for construction and operation of the power plant and ensures the community interests are aligned with the project’s goals. IFM Example: The project implements a broad range of activities which impact several SDGs. The project is operated sustainably in a highly biodiverse area with evidence of active efforts to promote biodiversity further. Improved Cookstoves Example: The project implements abroad range of SDG activities with extensive reach in the community, employs local communities for the distribution and operation of the cookstoves, operates near a biodiversity hotspot and successfully reduces pressures on the ecosystem. |
| 4/5 | Indicates strong progression of targeted SDGs, as well as high species richness and quality activities to reduce pressure on biodiversity. |
| 3/5 | Indicates average progression of targeted SDGs, as wellas average species richness and adequate activities to reduce pressure on biodiversity. REDD+ Example: The project implements SDG activities with moderate reach in the community, has average species richness, and takes acceptable action to reduce pressures on biodiversity ARR Example: The project implements SDG activities with moderate reach in the community, has planted moderately diverse species and does not introduce biodiversity risk to the area. Renewables Example: The project implements SDG activities with moderate reach in the community and does not introduce biodiversity risk to the area. IFM Example: The project implements activities that reasonably match SDG expectations associated with employment, and undertakes no activities which cause harm to the background level of biodiversity. CCUS-EOR Example: The project has been able to demonstrate the implementation of SDG activities that have a significant impact on local community and biodiversity. Improved Cookstoves Example: The project implements SDG activities that reasonably match SDG expectations associated with employment health, education and clean energy, and is located near average species richness. |
| 2/5 | Indicates narrow progression of targeted SDGs, or low species richness and limited activities to reduce pressure on biodiversity. |
| 1/5 | Indicates very limited progression of targeted SDGs, as well as very low species richness and deficient activities to reduce pressure on biodiversity. REDD+ Example: The project implements limited SDG activities with limited reach in the community, while not taking meaningful action to reduce pressures on biodiversity or its species diversity is low and possibly under low threat. ARR Example: The project implements limited SDG activities with limited reach in the community, and does not plant species that meaningfully increase biodiversity in the project area which may introduce biodiversity risk through non-native species or application of chemicals. Renewables Example: The project implements limited SDG activities with limited reach in the community, while not taking meaningful action to reduce pressures on biodiversity or its species diversity is low and possibly under threat. |
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