Implementation of National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes (NVCFPs) in Latin America

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This product was developed under UNDP’s Climate Promise, with generous funding from the governments of Germany, Japan, the European Union, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and other UNDP’s core contributors, and it underpins UNDP's contribution to the NDC Partnership.

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Duration: 5 modules
 Course type: Self-paced module
 Languages: English, Español
 Estimated effort: 1 hour per module
Organizers and Donors: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNDP Climate Promise, European Union, European Union – Climate Action, Germany BMU, Germany IKI-BMU, Germany BMZ, Japan MOFA, Japan ODA, Spain AECID, UK Defra, Sweden SIDA, Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security
Contributors: Ministry of Environment - Panama (MiAMBIENTE), Ministry of Environment - Peru (MINAM), Ministry of Environment - Chile (MMA), Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition - Ecuador (MAATE)

Actions to slow the advance of climate change have entered a critical decade of action, with targets to stay below 1.5°C already pushing for stable carbon neutrality by 2050. In this context, mitigation and neutralization of greenhouse gas (GHG) sources across broad sectors of society is a priority. This voluntary and broad approach calls for a national platform that allows the genuine and voluntary contribution of as large and diverse a number of GHG-emitting activities as possible. These voluntary carbon footprint platforms, associated with national mitigation efforts, make it possible to quantify, record and thus aggregate the GHGs reduced or neutralized by the different actors who adhere to the carbon footprint platforms.

Numerous actors -public and private- have worked on the design of standards and methodologies for carbon footprint measurement, as well as on the design and implementation of mandatory and voluntary programmes for the quantification of GHG emissions and reductions/removals. In particular, in Latin America, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported, for more than a decade, the implementation of National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programme initiatives (NVCFPs) starting with Chile and Peru, and more recently in Panama and Ecuador.

Based on the experiences of these four countries, UNDP consolidated these experiences for the benefit of future initiatives in the region or beyond, through the elaboration of the "Guide for the Implementation of National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes in Latin America." This pioneering guide describes the technical and administrative parameters that characterize these platforms, providing governments that are new to this process with a detailed roadmap for the implementation of similar models tailored to their particular needs.

Taking and adapting the information systematized in this guide developed in 2022, this online course has been developed with the purpose of easing the learning process. For detailed reading and references we recommend accompanying the online course with the reading of the guide.

About the course

Aware of the challenge of implementing the Paris Agreement agenda with respect to the 2030 goals, and with the subsequent need to consolidate carbon neutrality goals by 2050, we require a massive effort in which the participation of the private sector is essential. This course will help government officials (decision makers and technicians) prepare for the challenge of implementing a voluntary carbon footprint measurement scheme in their countries. It will also help private sector actors understand how climate action can contribute to business development. In addition, the general public will have access to the course which will familiarize them with the theoretical foundations of carbon footprint measurement.

Course highlights and outcomes

This course aims to:

• Build capacities in the public sector to facilitate the design and implementation of NVCFPs adjusted to national GHG mitigation objectives aligned with NDCs and long-term decarbonization strategies.
• Inform the private sector about the functioning of these NVCFPs and the benefits they can access as participants, in order to encourage and broaden their voluntary participation in these initiatives.
• Offer the general public a brief but understandable introduction to the basic concepts and benefits of carbon footprint measurement and reporting.

Learning objectives

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify and understand the fundamental technical concepts that support the implementation of NVCFPs.
• Define the administrative aspects that will delimit the operation of NVCFPs.
• Define the technical aspects that will govern the operationalization of NVCFPs.
• Select an operating platform for NVCFPs that is appropriate to existing needs and resources.
• Prepare an initial budget for the design and implementation of NVCFPs.
• Understand, disseminate and leverage the benefits provided by NVCFPs.

Course topics

The course will cover the following topics:

• MODULE 1. What are National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes? Concepts and principal technical components.
• MODULE 2. How to implement National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes? The design phase of administrative components.
• MODULE 3. How to implement National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes? The design phase of technical elements.
• MODULE 4. How to implement National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes? Implementation phase.
• MODULE 5. Why implement National Voluntary Carbon Footprint Programmes? Benefits to the public and private sectors.

Course completion requirements

In order to receive the certificate of course completion, participants must:

• Complete all online lessons (5 modules).
• Pass a total of 5 quizzes available at the end of each module (one quiz per module).
• Complete a user satisfaction survey.