Luangwa Project Largest CCB Triple Gold Verified REDD+ Project in the World

BCP’s first REDD+ project, the Lower Zambezi REDD+ Project, was the first project in Africa (and second in the World) to achieve CCB Triple Gold Verification against the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards (CCB). Now, our second REDD+ project has joined the CCB Gold club; the Luangwa Community Forests Project, coming in at over 1.2 million hectares, with 230,000 + beneficiaries; takes the title of the largest CCB verified REDD+ project in the World to date.

The CCB Standards provide guidance and rules for project development and design. The CCB Standards are intended to be used early in the design phase of a project to help shape the project to benefit the local community and biodiversity. The CCB Standard, developed by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), is a comprehensive set of criteria for evaluating land management and carbon offset projects. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) serves as a vital instrument in combating climate change. When REDD+ projects adhere to the CCB Standards, they offer benefits that go beyond just carbon emissions reduction.

To achieve the CCB Standards with Climate Adaptation, Community, and Biodiversity Gold Levels, a project must meet three optional criteria in addition to the 17 required criteria. These criteria assess the effectiveness of projects in mitigating climate change, benefiting local communities, and conserving biodiversity. Globally recognized, the CCB Standard serves as a benchmark for ensuring that environmental projects deliver measurable and sustainable benefits across these three critical areas.

To meet the criteria, BCP’s projects have demonstrated their positive impacts. This certification provides stakeholders—including investors, governments, and the public—with confidence that our projects are sustainable and effective in delivering verified co-benefits beyond carbon sequestration.

The Gold Level is the highest tier of certification within the CCB Standard, awarded to projects that demonstrate exceptional benefits in one or more of the following areas: climate, community, or biodiversity.

To achieve Gold Level status, a project must not only meet the basic CCB criteria but exceed them by delivering significant, measurable outcomes that go beyond standard expectations. This level of certification is a mark of distinction, highlighting a project’s outstanding contribution to sustainable development.

A core part of CCB verification is community inclusion and uplifting community development.

BCP’s REDD+ projects have proven to enhance economic opportunities through job, income, and revenue creation opportunities. The LCFP alone has created over 2,000+ additional income creation opportunities for local community members, in addition to the direct jobs created through our offices and community scout employment. Indirect income creation has become an integral add-on to the benefits of REDD+, as development and infrastructure projects, paired with livelihood initiatives, give local economies a jump start.

As community inclusion is such a key component to making the projects self-sufficient, we have witnessed the growth in confidence at a local governance level, with our engagement team carrying out education and sensitization sessions emphasizing marginalized groups.

Our goal is to create sustainable projects, that deliver tangible climate and biodiversity benefits, that are governed by communities for communities.

We believe that our projects exemplify an inclusive approach to sustainable development and environmental stewardship.