# TCR - Trusted Carbon Reduction The **Trusted Carbon Reduction (TCR)** methodology offers a **comprehensive and rigorous framework** for the **quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals in agricultural activity contexts**. It was developed to meet the growing demand for reliable and transparent tools to assess the environmental impact of agricultural practices and to support the transition towards more sustainable agricultural systems. Building on a solid scientific foundation and integrating internationally recognised methodologies and standards (such as LIFE C-Farms, Verra VM0042, CDM's AR-AMS0007 and the IPCC Guidelines), the TCR aims to provide a valid instrument for: * Identifying the requirements and procedures for defining project boundaries. * Identifying the reference scenario (baseline). * Assessing additionality. * Monitoring relevant parameters. * Quantifying the reductions or removals of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from afforestation/reforestation activities and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Its specific objectives include the **accurate and transparent quantification of GHG emissions and removals**, **continuous monitoring of environmental performance in agriculture**, **clear and consistent reporting of results** and **practical support for the transition to sustainable agricultural systems**. *** #### Summary of TCR Methodology Chapters * **1. Methodology Description**: Introduces the TCR methodology, describing its context, purpose and scientific basis, including the international standards and methodologies adopted (such as LIFE C-Farms, Verra VM0042, CDM AR-AMS0007 and the IPCC Guidelines). * **2. Objectives**: Outlines the specific purposes of the methodology, focusing on the accurate and transparent quantification of GHG emissions and removals, continuous monitoring, consistent reporting and support for the transition to sustainable agricultural systems. * **3. Applicability Conditions**: Specifies the requirements for applying the methodology, including the scope of application (agricultural production systems with soil management generating GHG emissions or removals), data availability, necessary resources and competences, compliance with standards and inherent limitations. * **4. Methodological Approach**: Describes the main phases of applying the methodology, from defining the system and identifying GHG SSRs (Sources, Sinks and Reservoirs), to determining the baseline, quantifying emissions and removals, calculating net reductions/removals, monitoring and reporting, converting to carbon credits and notarisation. * **5. Quantification of GHG Emission Mitigations**: Outlines the criteria and procedures for calculating net CO2 removals, based on the difference between the project scenario and a standardised baseline, and includes formulas for net carbon removal benefit, CRtotal and GHG increase (GHGincrease). Also covers leakage and permanence buffer management. * **6. Baseline**: Describes the reference scenario ("business as usual" – BAU) in the absence of mitigation interventions, characterised by conventional agricultural practices, and justifies the choice and underlying assumptions, emphasising the lack of incentives for change and the principle of additionality. * **7. GHG Sources, Sinks and Reservoirs**: Identifies the carbon reservoirs (e.g. living biomass, dead wood, soil organic carbon, harvested wood products) and greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O) relevant to the methodology, specifying which are included or excluded in the baseline and project scenario scope. * **8. Example of Sampling and Monitoring Zone Determination**: Provides a detailed example of carbon measurement procedures, including the identification of carbon stocks (above/below-ground biomass, litter, dead wood, SOC), IPCC estimation levels, and sampling and analysis methodologies for each stock. Also explains the role of remote sensing, GIS and sampling design. Includes sections on reporting and verification. * **9. Permanence Risk Assessment**: Presents the risk assessment (internal, external and natural) for a reference project using Verra's "AFOLU Non-Permanence Risk Tool", demonstrating how the TCR methodology evaluates project robustness against established risk thresholds. * **10. Agricultural Practices**: Lists and describes the sustainable and regenerative **Best Agricultural Practices (BAP)** recommended and applied by the methodology, providing for each a description, the baseline scenario, eligibility conditions and a credit quantification table (e.g. organic farming, conservation tillage, cover crops, pruning residue management, reduction of fertilisers/pesticides, organic matter recycling, new plantings). * **11. Parameters, Formulas and Verification**: Details the quantification parameters and specific formulas used for calculating and verifying GHG emissions and removals associated with BAPs, both for the baseline and post-implementation scenario, with guidance on verification methods. * **12. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms**: Provides definitions of key terms and acronyms used in the document, to ensure clarity and understanding. {% file src="/files/q4NNuQeGvFw64VBsCvJ6" %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://registry.carborea.com/home/en/metodologia-and-standard/tcr-trusted-carbon-reduction.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.