SustainCERT Value Chain Intervention / Program Design Document (SC VC IDD / Program DD)
Inspired by the Value Change Guidance v1.1, SustainCERT can provide you with verification services for interventions aimed at creating GHG reductions and removals in their value chains.
The SC VC Requirements are here to help you define, design, and enable the accounting of interventions, as well as accurately include them in your emissions reporting.
Don’t worry if it’s a bit of an overload of information – we are always on hand to help and explain what comes next every step of the way. By providing everything you could need to know, we ensure that every level of stakeholder has insight into our processes.
SustainCERT Value Chain Intervention or Program Design Document
To undergo a SC VC validation or verification:
- The information must be submitted in an Intervention Design Document or Program Design Document (IDD/ Program DD) along with complementary documentation, e.g.:
- Detailed calculation worksheets
- Tool/model description
- Monitoring reports
- Supporting evidence, etc.
Key IDD Topics 1
| SC Requirements Sections | IDD Section | |
|---|---|---|
| What | 1-2. Principles | 3.1.1. Purpose |
| 3.1 | 3.1.2. Activities in the program (estimated start of program interventions) | |
| 3.1 & 6 | 3.1.3. Define activities & describe your causality | |
| 3.1.4 | 3.1.4. Yield & amount impacted + Annex 1 | |
| 3.1.2 & 3.1.6 | 3.1.5. & 3.1.6 Start dates and activities duration | |
| 3.3 | 3.2-3. Location & Supply Shed + Annex 1 | |
| How | 4.1 & 4.2 | 4.1 & 4.2. Baseline & scenario (SSRs) |
| 4.3 | 4.1 & 4.3. How you assess impact; Quantification approach | |
| Annex 4: non permanence risk assessment | 4.4. Accounting for permanence. Risk assessment table | |
| 4.5 | 4.5. Monitoring plan; which parameters & what sampling plan. | |
| 5 | 5. Data Quality & Quality management procedures | |
| 6 | 6. Causality & Funding | |
| 7 | 7. Impact Quantification | |
| 8 | 8 & 9. Stakeholder consultation; Risks assessment & safeguarding | |
| 10 | 10. Program of Interventions | |
| Checks | 9 | Annex 2. Risks self-assessment & Safeguards |
| Annex 3: Model evaluation | Annex 3 + Annex 4. Model Evaluation & deviations |
Completing the IDD / Program DD
- Refer to the corresponding section in the SustainCERT Verification Requirements for Value Chain Interventions v0.9 for additional information and guidance
- Requirements MUST be followed
- Guidance on how to complete the sections is provided for each section
- Do not delete or modify any sections in the IDD / Program DD
- Clearly reference supporting documents and attachments
- If a section is not applicable, do not leave it blank – indicate and justify
- If something is unclear, ask during Discovery
Additional guidance for completing the Digital Version of our IDD:
- Section Requirements are at the top of the page and must be followed.
- They are marked with a number x.y.z, where x is the chapter, y the section, and z the requirement, e.g. 3.1.2.
- Guidance can be viewed at any time, by opening the guidance tab.
- Per requirement, complete the provided text field to describe how your intervention aligns with it.
SC VC Rules & Requirements & The Fundamental Principles
To ensure success, we’ve compiled the following advice and things to consider!
- Relevance – Considered sources, sinks and reservoirs, data, and quantification approaches are appropriate.
- Completeness – All relevant GHG emissions and removals are included, together with all relevant information to support criteria and procedures.
- Consistency – The approach considered enables meaningful comparisons in GHG-related information (uniform procedures over time, and for both baseline and intervention, functional/service equivalence, etc.).
- Accuracy – Bias and uncertainties are discussed and reduced as far as practical (where high cost makes accuracy difficult, conservativeness serves as a moderator to accuracy to maintain credibility).
- Transparency – Sufficient and appropriate GHG-related information is disclosed to allow intended users to make decisions.
- Conservativeness – Conservative assumptions, values, and procedures are used to ensure GHG emissions reductions or removal enhancements are not over-estimated.