Guidelines for Structuring Projects that Generate High Integrity Biodiversity Units

This technical note summarizes Terrasos' Protocol for the Issuance of Voluntary Biodiversity Units, a mechanism that promotes the conservation and restoration of ecosystems through the issuance of Biodiversity Units. Each unit represents 10 square meters of threatened ecosystems preserved or restored for at least 20 years. The protocol establishes key principles such as traceability, permanence and scientific rigor, and details a methodology for calculating the units issued, based on factors such as ecosystem threat, connectivity, size, conservation actions, and community engagement. The document includes a hypothetical scenario illustrating the calculation of units in a project, and a checklist for the registration document, which ensures compliance of the minimum requirement for projects issuing Biodiversity Units. This summary emphasizes the integrity of the process and ensures that investments generate real and sustainable impacts on biodiversity conservation.