FOREST CARBON STANDARD – a framework for the environmental integrity, verifiability, permanence and long-term traceability of forest-related carbon outcomes.
The Quality Forest Carbon Standard™ (QFCS™) establishes a framework for substantiating, accounting for and tracking forest-related carbon outcomes over the long term. Forest carbon stocks change over time through growth, harvesting, fire, drought, pests, soil processes and other factors.
Afforestation, forest restoration and natural regeneration must be assessed separately, documenting initial conditions and actual outcomes.
Conserving existing forests and avoiding forest destruction are not the same as new carbon sequestration. A credible baseline and demonstrated additional outcome are required.
Initial carbon stocks do not automatically confer credit eligibility. Subsequent issuance may be based only on an actual and substantiated net increase.
QFCS may be applied to afforestation, forest restoration, natural regeneration, conservation of existing forests, avoided forest destruction and forest management that produces verifiable carbon outcomes.
Project boundaries in space and time, the baseline, carbon stocks, relevant emissions and losses, data quality, uncertainty, permanence risks and evidence for independent review.
The framework distinguishes actual carbon sequestration, avoided carbon-stock loss and ecological outcomes.
Under QFCS™, a carbon unit must be based on an actual, evidence-supported and verifiable net carbon outcome protected against double counting.
Measurements, estimates, models and assumptions must be documented and suitable for independent review.
Uncertainty must not lead to unjustified overestimation of carbon outcomes; material losses and omissions must be disclosed.
Monitoring, loss management and responsibility do not end when a carbon unit is issued. Reversal risks must be managed.
The same carbon outcome must not support overlapping credit issuances, and the same credit must not be used more than once.
Biodiversity and ecosystem-service outcomes must be substantiated separately; they do not automatically become carbon credits.
QFCS and the OurOffset Registry do not replace national inventories and do not themselves constitute State approval or international authorisation.
QFCS™ proceeds from a documented baseline through assessment of stocks and changes to determination of the eligible net carbon outcome.
Document the project area, land-use history, baseline and initial carbon stocks.
Define forestry activities, spatial and temporal boundaries, and the monitoring plan.
Assess relevant carbon pools, increases, emissions, harvesting and other losses.
Assess uncertainty, permanence, leakage/displacement, national accounting and double counting.
A carbon unit may be issued only for an eligible net carbon outcome substantiated in accordance with QFCS requirements.
QFCS™ 2.1 distinguishes between carbon stocks documented at project start, subsequent actual net increases, and avoided carbon-stock losses.
Initial stock may be considered only once, and only where eligibility is substantiated.
The mere existence or measurement of initial carbon stocks does not automatically confer credit eligibility. The same quantity must not be issued again. Thereafter, only a subsequent, actual and substantiated net increase may support new issuance.
Avoided emissions or avoided carbon-stock losses must be identified separately and must not be described as newly sequestered carbon.
Depending on the project, above-ground live biomass, below-ground biomass, dead wood, litter and other dead organic matter, and soil organic carbon must be addressed separately.
Detailed measurement and calculation procedures are set out in the separate QFCS™ 2.1 Mathematical and Methodological Document, a separately version-controlled annex to the Framework.
This website presents the purpose, scope, principles and main assessment logic of the Quality Forest Carbon Standard™. The normative Framework sets out detailed requirements for carbon stocks, forestry activities, permanence, ecological safeguards, national carbon accounting and traceability.
Document ID: QFCS-001 · Date: 16 October 2026 · Status: Document prepared for approval.
Request access to the full Standard documentation or submit basic information about your forestry project for preliminary review.
Request information about access to the complete QFCS™ 2.1 documentation, professional use or licensing terms.
Submit basic information about your forestry project. Submission alone does not constitute validation, verification or credit eligibility.