The Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, used to assess multiple benefits of the majority of forest carbon projects, provide robust standards; however, until now there has been limited guidance on how to undertake credible and cost-effective impact assessment. This Manual is designed in a way that helps projects meet the requirements of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards (CCBA 2008), since they are the most widely used multiple-benefit standards for land-based carbon projects. The use of the SBIA Manual is not a requirement of the CCB Standards, but we believe that using the methods described here can facilitate successful validation and verification against the CCB Standards. However, the SBIA should also be useful for projects wishing to meet other multiple-benefit standards.The SBIA Manual is oriented to the CCB Standards, but the approach described is applicable to other multiple benefit carbon standards, as well as to other types of payments for ecosystem services (PES) projects.

The Manual promotes a participatory approach that integrates project design and impact assessment through the development of a project theory of change. The benefits of this approach go far beyond the generation of credible monitoring plans and include: strategic project design necessary for achieving social and biodiversity objectives; effective participation of project stakeholders; promotion of adaptive project management; ease of understanding and of explanation of the results to a range of stakeholders.

• Part One: Core Guidance for Project Proponents
• Part Two: Social Impact Assessment Toolbox
• Part Three: Biodiversity Impact Assessment Toolbox
• SBIA Manuel Première Partie
• SBIA Manual Parte 1
• SBIA Manual Parte 2

SBIA Launch Webinar, Nov. 22, 2011 from CCBA on Vimeo.